Diagnosis and treatment of mycoplasma-contaminated cell cultures

Curr Protoc Immunol. 2001 May:Appendix 3:Appendix 3E. doi: 10.1002/0471142735.ima03es21.

Abstract

Mycoplasma contamination is a serious and frequent problem in the culture laboratory. Although mycoplasma contamination may be suspected by the failure of cells to thrive, the formal diagnosis rests on the detection of adenosine phosphorylase secretion by infected cell lines. This appendix describes how to test for mycoplasma contamination, and also presents methods for antibiotic treatment of infected cultures.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Culture Techniques
  • Cytological Techniques / methods*
  • Mycoplasma / enzymology
  • Mycoplasma / isolation & purification*
  • Mycoplasma Infections / microbiology*
  • Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase / analysis

Substances

  • adenosine phosphorylase
  • Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase