The acid fast staining characteristic of Mycobacteria appears to be due to which of the following cell wall constituent: (A) Mycolic acid, (B) Lipopolysaccharide, (C) Lipid A, (D) N-acetyle muramic acid
Answer is A. (A) Mycolic acid # Acid fastness is attributed to the organisms' high content of mycolic acids, long chain cross-linked fatty acids and other cell wall lipids.