Cytopathogenic Mycoplasmas Associated with Two Human Tumors I. Isolation and Biological Aspects

Abstract

Armstrong , D. (The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.), G. Henle, N. L. Somerson, and L. Hayflick . Cytopathogenic mycoplasmas associated with two human tumors. I. Isolation and biological aspects. J. Bacteriol. 90: 418–424. 1965.—Mycoplasmas were isolated from cell cultures of two benign human tumors. The first isolate contained two mycoplasmas, one a well-known human species ( Mycoplasma hominis type I) and frequent tissue culture contaminant, and the other a recently reported new type. The second isolate was a mycoplasma of the newly described type. The mycoplasmas could be reisolated, after one or more passages through tissue culture, from extracts of the original tumor tissue. The relationship of the organisms to the neoplasms remains obscure. Both isolates produce cytopathic effect (CPE) and acidification of medium in a variety of tissue cultures. The CPE may be diminished, but not abolished, by increasing concentrations of arginine in the tissue culture media. Infection of various tissue cultures with the mycoplasmas did not result in interference to super-infection with vesicular stomatitis virus.