Characterization of mycoplasmas isolated from the great apes

Abstract

Nine adult female chimpanzees, five adult female orangutans, and three young female gorillas were cultured for mycoplasmas. All animals were found to harbor at least one species of mycoplasma and some as many as four. On the basis of physiological and serological characteristics mycoplasmas closely related or identical with M. hominis, M. salivarium, and M. orale types 1 and 2 were identified. The M. hominis strains which were restricted to the chimpanzee comprised two serologic subgroups but were physiologically homogeneous. The M. salivarium strains were physiologically and morphologically heterogeneous, with both lipolytic and non-lipolytic strains being isolated from the salivas of all three primate species. All strains of M. salivarium were closely related serologically. In addition to the above species, three unidentifiable types were encountered. Type 1 strains were isolated from the vaginas of two chimpanzees. The type 2 strain, which shared up to three antigenic components with various human mycoplasmas, was isolated from the oropharynx of a chimpanzee. The type 3 strains constituted the only mycoplasma species isolated from the orangutan vagina.