Biochemical and Genetic Evidence for Phospholipase C Activity in Mycobacterium ulcerans

This study reports the existence of phospholipase C and D enzymatic activities in Mycobacterium ulcerans cultures as determined by use of thin-layer chromatography to detect diglycerides in hydrolysates of radiolabeled phosphatidylcholine. M. ulcerans DNA sequences homologous to the genes encoding phospholipase C in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were identified by sequence analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization. Whether or not the phospholipase C and D enzymes of M. ulcerans plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease needs further investigation.