Lipid metabolism in mycobacteria--Insights using mass spectrometry-based lipidomics

Diseases including tuberculosis and leprosy are caused by species of the Mycobacterium genus and are a huge burden on global health, aggravated by the emergence of drug resistant strains. Mycobacteria have a high lipid content and complex lipid profile including several unique classes of lipid. Recent years have seen a growth in research focused on lipid structures, metabolism and biological functions driven by advances in mass spectrometry techniques and instrumentation, particularly the use of electrospray ionization. Here we review the contributions of lipidomics towards the advancement of our knowledge of lipid metabolism in mycobacterial species.