Identification of Mycoplasmas of Human Origin

Abstract

SUMMARY: Fifty-five strains of the genus Mycoplasma were isolated from sputam of 95 patients suffering from various respiratory tract diseases. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic method was used to identify the isolated strains, in addition to the conventional biochemical methods and growth-inhibition by antisera. The electrophoretic patterns of the isolated strains were compared with those of known human mycoplasmas. The electrophoretic patterns obtained were species specific and highly reproducible. The results of the identification of the isolated strains by the gel electrophoretic method correlated well with those of the growth inhibition test. It is suggested that polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole cell proteins might become a useful routine method for identification of mycoplasmas. The most prevalent Mycoplasma found in the sputa was Mycoplasma salivarium, only four strains were identified as M. orale type 1 and one strain as M. pneumoniae. One strain was similar to, but not identical with, M. salivarium. The three oral anaerobic mycoplasmas (M. salivarium, M. orale types 1 and 2) showed a certain similarity when examined by the gel electrophoretic method, they may be genetically related to each other.