Mycoplasma Infection of Cell Cultures

✍ Scribed by Joseph G. Tully (auth.), Gerard J. McGarrity, Donald G. Murphy, Warren W. Nichols (eds.)

• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 344
• Series: Cellular Senescence and Somatic Cell Genetics 3
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

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.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-x
Biology of the Mycoplasmas....Pages 1-33
Incidence and Sources of Mycoplasma Contamination: A Brief Review....Pages 35-45
Cultural and Serologic Procedures for Mycoplasmas in Tissue Culture....Pages 47-56
Microbiological Methods and Fluorescent Microscopy for the Direct Demonstration of Mycoplasma Infection of Cell Cultures....Pages 57-69
Principles of Morphological and Biochemical Methods for the Detection of Mycoplasma Contaminants of Cell Cultures....Pages 71-86
Biochemical Methods for Detecting Mycoplasma Contamination....Pages 87-104
Detection of Mycoplasma Contamination of Cell Cultures by Electron Microscopy....Pages 105-118
Some Effects That Mycoplasmas Have Upon Their Infected Host....Pages 119-134
Mycoplasma-Cell Culture-Virus Interactions: A Brief Review....Pages 135-150
Genetic Effects of Mycoplasma....Pages 151-157
Mycoplasmas in Relation to Amniocentesis....Pages 159-165
Effects of Mycoplasmas on Lymphocyte Cell Cultures....Pages 167-181
Clinical Importance of Detecting Mycoplasma Contamination of Cell Cultures....Pages 183-190
Phenotypic Alterations in Mammalian Cell Lines After Mycoplasma Infection....Pages 191-212
Methods of Prevention, Control and Elimination of Mycoplasma Infection....Pages 213-241
Cell Culture Mycoplasmas: A Bibliography....Pages 243-334
Back Matter....Pages 335-342

✦ Subjects

Anatomy