Detection and accurate identification of Mycobacterium species by flow injection tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS) analysis of mycolic acids

Mycolic acids, long-chain α-alkyl, β-hydroxy fatty acids, are characteristic for the genus Mycobacterium and play a critical role in the structural integrity and pathogenicity of mycobacterial cell walls. The unique structural diversity of mycolic acids among various Mycobacterium species offers a reliable biomarker for taxonomic differentiation. In this study, we applied flow injection analysis coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS) for a comprehensive profiling of mycolic acids. Our findings demonstrate that the structural diversity of mycolic acids can be effectively utilized to enhance the accuracy, sensitivity, and scalability of mycobacterial identification methods. This technique has a broad applications for the rapid identification of mycobacterial pathogens and determination of drug resistance. Particularly in clinical diagnostics it may lead to improvement of patient management and treatment outcomes. Additionally, the method holds promise for epidemiological surveillance, enabling the tracking of mycobacterial outbreaks, as well as applications in environmental microbiology for the detection and monitoring of mycobacteria in diverse ecosystems.