On a Somatic Polysaccharide isolated from Human-type Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H₃₇Rv Strain). I

Extraction, Isolation, and Purification

Abstract

Degreased cells of human-type tubercle bacilli (H₃₇Rv strain) was extracted by the method of Goebel-Morgan and a polysaccharide fraction (II) of [α]_D+150° was obtained. Acetylation of (II) by Smith method gave an acetylated compound (III) with a mean molecular weight of 14000-14500, and its deacetylation afforded a polysaccharide (IV). From the elemental analyses and molecular weight determination of (III) and (IV), and electrophoretic analysis of (IV), it was considered that (IV) is an electrophoretically approximately homogeneous polysaccharide with a mean molecular weight assumed at 8, 000-8, 400.