Mycoplasma effects on SV40 transformation of human amnion cells.

Abstract

SummaryIncidence of transformation of human amnion cells by SV40 was reduced and the appearance of transformed foci delayed by concurrent SV40-mycoplasma infection of primary cultures. The number of population doublings during serial cultivation was reduced, as was the number of culture passages and the time before “crisis” of the SV40 transformed cells. Mycoplasma infection of an SV40 transformed strain already in serial cultivation caused even more cell destruction and effects on the population doubling number. The virus production pattern changed, but differently for individual strains. After mycoplasma elimination, the number of passages and cell divisions, and the time before “crisis” increased, and several strains were recovered from “crisis” as permanent cell lines.