Identification of Mycobacterium leprae: use of wall-bound mycolic acids.

A simple method for extraction and analysis of wall-bound mycolic acids from small samples of mycobacteria is described. Separation of mycolic acid classes according to their functional groups by thin-layer chromatography showed a difference between Mycobacterium leprae and a number of strains of acid-fast bacilli cultured from leprosy biopsies in vitro. This technique is proposed as a convenient preliminary test in the identification of possible cultures of M. leprae.