Mycoplasma Contaminations in the Cell Culture ... - Minerva Biolabs

Mycoplasma (continued)
• Pass cellulose- and polyvinyl filter with 0,45 µm pore width
• Smalles, self-replicating organisms (0,3 to 0,8 µm, 600 kb to 1700 kb (1/5 of
E. coli-genome) with approx. 500 genes
• Need to consume cholesterol, l amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins i and other
catabolites
• Typically arginine, glucose or urea metabolism
• Lacks cell wall, but has simple plasma membrane
– extremely flexible in relation to environment, however sensitive in relation to
chemical influences
– resistant to penicillin, contains no peptido p glycan gy wall
– osmotically unstable
• Occurring extra cellularly, only in rare cases intracellularly