MYCOPLASMA

BY: Raunak Prasad

General Characteristics
❏ Smallest unicellular ❏ It differs from viruses as it ❏ Bounded by a
prokaryotic (GRAM POS) has RNA and DNA trilaminar
organisms that can membrane- sterols,
grown in cell free lipids
culture medium
❏ Requires cholesterol for ❏ Can exist in three
forms - filament,
growth, hence also why
granular, and
it’s a facultative spherical
❏ Devoid of cell wall (and anaerobe.
even its precursors) ❏ Fried egg or
mulberry colonies
on agar
❏ Occurs as saprophytes in
❏ It differs from viruses soil and sewage.
as it has RNA and DNA
 How Mycoplasma is cultured
❏ Mycoplasma can be cultured on liquid or solid medium
❏ Most optimal growth between 35-37°C
❏ Medium of growth should be enriched with 20% horse/ human
serum
❏ Culture media requires PPLO broth and sugar. In this broth, we
can determine the growth due to the pH changes (which is
caused by the carbohydrate metabolism)
The central opaque area
❏ Takes 2-3 weeks
extends into the medium. In
❏ Colonies can be seen under microscope- Diene’s staining addition the periphery flat
technique and translucent.
❏ When it reaches 56°C or above it is killed by the heat in 30
minutes
 How it causes diseases/ pathogenesis
❏ Usually the most important this disease causes is Pneumonia
❏ Transmission of droplets of nasopharyngeal secretion in close contacts, where the mycoplasma may
remain in the throat for more than 2 months after recovery
❏ When mycoplasma comes in contact with the mucus membranes, it penetrates the mucosal gel
coating of the epithelium (this is aided by the gliding motility and its minute size)
❏ Mycoplasma is pathogenic in nature utilizing the close facilitation between M.pneumoniae and its host
cell
Common symptoms
● Generalized aches and pains
● Fever at 102°F
● Sore throat or cough
● Headaches
● Chills
● Earache
● General malaise
● Nasal congestion with coryza
Diagnosis for Mycoplasma
Only certain antibiotics are useful ,as cell wall synthesis
inhibitors will be ineffective

For children: If macrolides are not effective enough, they

must be treated with corticosteroids to
Macrolides like erythromycin, Clarithromycin, manage the extra inflammation. Such
Roxithromycin, azithromycin include:
Prednisolone
Methylprenisolone
For adults:

Doxycycline, tetracycline, quinolones

HOW WE CAN MONITOR THE CONTAMINATION FOR MYCOPLASMA IN HUMAN IPC LABS

❏ Mycoplasma must be looked at, as they affect cell metabolism, gene expression, antigenicity.
❏ Once Mycoplasma enters IPC labs, it can be difficult to eradicate them.
❏ They cause cross contamination, and are highly infectious.
❏ To test for Mycoplasma in IPC labs, staining methods are used like fluorescent or PCR, and even
enzymatic. One of the fastest and newest methods developed is the use of Hoechst dyes.
❏ Enzymatic labeling using DNA polymerase I and modified nucleotides utilizing nicks in the
mycoplasmas’ DNA. Modified nucleotides are incorporated into mycoplasmas’ DNA and subsequently
visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy.