Cord factor, or trehalose dimycolate (TDM), is a glycolipid molecule found in the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and similar species. It is the primary lipid found on the exterior of M. tuberculosis cells.[1] Cord factor influences the arrangement of M. tuberculosis cells into long and slender formations, giving its name.[2] Cord factor is virulent towards mammalian cells and critical for survival of M. tuberculosis in hosts, but not outside of hosts.[3][4] Cord factor has been observed to influence immune responses, induce the formation of granulomas, and inhibit tumor growth.[5] The antimycobacterial drug SQ109 is thought to inhibit TDM production levels and in this way disrupts its cell wall assembly.[6]
^Hunter, RL; Olsen, MR; Jagannath, C; Actor, JK (Autumn 2006). "Multiple roles of cord factor in the pathogenesis of primary, secondary, and cavitary tuberculosis, including a revised description of the pathology of secondary disease". Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science. 36 (4): 371–86. PMID17127724.
^TAHLAN, K., R. WILSON, D. B. KASTRINSKY, K. ARORA, V. NAIR, E. FISCHER, S. W. BARNES, J. R. WALKER, D. ALLAND, C. E. BARRY a H. I. BOSHOFF. SQ109 Targets MmpL3, a Membrane Transporter of Trehalose Monomycolate Involved in Mycolic Acid Donation to the Cell Wall Core of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2012-03-16, vol. 56, issue 4, s. 1797-1809. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.05708-11. http://aac.asm.org/cgi/doi/10.1128/AAC.05708-11