Elimination of Mycoplasma from cell cultures by means of specific bovine antiserum

Abstract

Heifers were immunized against Mycoplasma arginini, M. fermentans, M. hyorhinis and M. orale and the antisera were applied for elimination of these species from cell cultures. From fifteen out of nineteen contaminated human and animal cell cultures the mycoplasmas could be eliminated by treating the cells with medium with 10% or 20% antiserum (eight cases) or antiserum combined with one or two antibiotics (six cases). In ten cases two treatments were sufficient, in four cases respectively four, six or eight (2 X) treatments were necessary, in one case antiserum combined with a heat treatment (42 degrees C) was successful. The efficacy of the treatment depended on the antibody titer of the serum, the contaminating mycoplasm species (M. arginini being more difficult to eliminate than the other three species) and the cells involved. The bovine sera were not cytotoxic, except for a slight toxicity for a mouse lymphoma cell line. The application of specific bovine antiserum for elimination of mycoplasmas is an easy and often successful method.