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

Sugar Components and Periodate Oxidation

Abstract

The polysaccharide (IV) obtained from human tubercle bacilli, as described in Part I of this series, would be composed of 48-50 glucose units and two arabinose units, considering the result of paper chromatography of its hydrolysate (Table I), quantitative and qualitative tests with carbazole-sulfuric acid and phenol-sulfuric acid reactions, and from the mean molecular weight of (IV). Periodate oxidation of (IV) showed that the ratio of consumption of periodate, to the amount of formic acid and formaldehyde produced was 61:5.8:1 in molar ratio. Bonding positions of constituent sugars in the polysaccharide which would satisfy the above molar ratio would be 1-2 or 1-4 in glucose and 1-, 2-, or 3-position in arabinose if it were a terminal group. The mode of configuration is assumed to be a straight chain with 2-6 branchings.