Prevalence of Mollicutes in Cell Cultures: experience in Cuba

Abstract

Different mollicutes species of the Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma genera can contaminate the cell cultures and raw materials commonly used in the manufacture of a variety of biological and therapeutical products. In this study, the presence of mollicutes was detected in 19 of 50 cell culture samples analyzed using PCR and microbiological cultures. The species most frequently detected was M. fermentans (31.5%), followed by A. laidlawii (26.3%), M. orale (15.7%), M. hyorhinis (15.7%), and M. salivarium (10, 5%). A. laidlawii was present as the infecting agent only in 10.5% of the samples. These results showed the main species of contaminants, which suggested mollicutes multiple origin in the source of infection.

Key words: mollicutes, Mycoplasmas, Acholeplasma, cell cultures, diagnostic.