Overview
- Editors:
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Gerard J. McGarrity
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Institute for Medical Research, Camden, USA
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Donald G. Murphy
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National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, USA
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Warren W. Nichols
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Institute for Medical Research, Camden, USA
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Table of contents (16 chapters)
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Basic Properties of Mycoplasmas
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- Michael F. Barile, Hope E. Hopps, Marion W. Grabowski
Pages 35-45
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Microbiological Detection
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- Richard A. Del Giudice, Hope E. Hopps
Pages 57-69
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Biochemical and Biophysical Detection
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- Eric J. Stanbridge, Carol Katayama
Pages 71-86
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- Elliot M. Levine, Barbara G. Becker
Pages 87-104
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Effects of Mycoplasmas on Cell Cultures
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- Eric J. Stanbridge, Claus-Jens Doersen
Pages 119-134
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- Michael F. Barile, Marion W. Grabowski
Pages 135-150
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- Seung-Il Shin, Otto P. Van Diggelen
Pages 191-212
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Control Methods
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- Gerard J. McGarrity, Veronica Vanaman, Judith Sarama
Pages 213-241
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Bibliography
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- Gerard J. McGarrity, Diane Meredith, Dorothy Gruber, Marcella McCall
Pages 243-334
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Back Matter
Pages 335-342
About this book
If one were to design the ideal nuisance for cell cultures, the resultant might well be similar to mycoplasmas. These micro organisms are very prevalent in nature, being found in the oral cavity, blood, the mucous membranes of the respiratory and uro genital tract and other tissues of both man and animals. They are relatively difficult to detect microbiologically and chemically. Lacking cell walls, they do not routinely produce turbidity in cell cultures and are resistant to antibiotics that act on cell walls. Mycoplasmas grow to high titers in cell cultures. Concen 7 8 trations of 10-10 colony forming units per ml of supernatant medium are representative. Additionally, more numbers are attached to cell membranes. Further, mycoplasmas have been shown to mimic in vitro effects of viruses and toxic chemicals. In various cell culture systems, mycoplasmas have been known to cause cell death, decrease or increase cell growth, affect virus tite~s, induce interferon, cause chromosome damage, induce transformation, cyto pathic effects, alter phenotypic expression, and significantly alter metabolic pathways and products of cells. The presence of such high concentrations of mycoplasmas in cell cultures constitutes a true in vitro infection. Such infected cell cultures, with a 8 9 total of 10 _10 or more actively metabolizing mycoplasmas, have no place in controlled, standardized cell culture procedures. Numerous reports have been published on mycoplasma assay pro cedures, effects of infection, and preventive and elimination measures.
