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A study of proteinograms of some strains of mycobacteria with the use of the method of electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel showed that individual strains had characteristic protein spectra which could serve as one of the possible taxonomic characteristics. Analysis of proteinograms of three groups of mycobacteria (tuberculosis, atypical and saprophytes) by electrophoretic mobility of the fractions, with consideration to their homologous character and by the intensity of protein fractions in the mobility zones pointed to heterogeneity of the group of atypical strains and their greater similarity to tuberculosis mycobacteria than to acid-fast saprophytes. Proteinograms of strains H37 Rv and Bov-8 proved to be identical; a marked similarity between the protein spectra of M. avium and M. battey was revealed.

The protein composition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the molecular weight of proteins contained in these organisms have been determined by the method of electrophoresis in the porosity gradient of polyacrylamide gel. Close similarity between the electrophoregrams of M. tuberculosis clinical and laboratory strains has been revealed. The study of 18 strains of different groups of mycobacteria has shown that M. tuberculosis are essentially different from opportunistic mycobacteria and acid-resistant saprophytes. These data may be important for the identification and taxonomy of mycobacteria.