An in vitro comparison of some biochemical and biological properties of California and Morocco isolates of Spiroplasma citri

Abstract

California (CI) and Morocco (MI) isolates of Spiroplasma citri incubated at 4, 24, or 32 °C yielded typical mycoplasma colonies on agar at each passage. MI but not CI incubated at 37 °C yielded a few colonies at first passage only, but both isolates did not survive 42 °C for 3 days. In liquid and solid media, best growth of both isolates occurred between pH 7.0 and pH 8.5 and the optimum pH for growth in liquid medium was 7.5 (CI) and 8.5 (MI). The sensitivity of CI or MI to 21 antimicrobial substances was identical in most cases. Corn stunt spiroplasma (CSS) and CI had similar antimicrobial substance spectrum, although CSS was much more sensitive to any given substance than CI. CI fermented the following with acid production: cellobiose, dextrose, galactose, trehalose, fructose, mannitol. maltose, and sucrose. MI fermented all these in addition to arabinose, mannose. sorbitol, and raffinnose. Arginine but not urea was hydrolyzed by both isolates. CI or MI failed to reduce potassium tellurite, methylene blue, or tetrazolium chloride.