Home  About us  Contact
 

Mycoplasma Cells (mycoplasma + cell)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Life Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Cellular engineering in a minimal microbe: structure and assembly of the terminal organelle of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
Duncan C. Krause
Summary Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a minimal microbe with respect to cell envelope composition, biosynthetic and regulatory capabilities and genome size, yet it possesses a remarkably complex, multifunctional terminal organelle. This membrane-bound extension of the mycoplasma cell is defined by the presence of an electron-dense core that appears as paired, parallel bars oriented longitudinally and enlarging at the distal end to form a terminal button. Most non-cytadhering mutants of M. pneumoniae isolated to date exhibit defects in the architecture of the terminal organelle. Detailed characterization of those mutants has revealed the identities of many component proteins of the terminal organelle as well as the likely order in which some of those components are required. Additional questions regarding the composition of the electron-dense core, the means by which the terminal organelle is duplicated during cell division and the manner in which this process is regulated remain to be answered. Thus, it seems that there is much to be learned about cellular engineering and spatial regulation in these ,simple' cell wall-less bacteria. [source]

Flow cytometric method for quantifying viable Mycoplasma agassizii, an agent of upper respiratory tract disease in the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
H.A. Mohammadpour
Abstract Aims:,Mycoplasma agassizii can cause upper respiratory tract disease in the threatened desert tortoise of the Southwestern United States. Two technical challenges have impeded critical microbiological studies of this microorganism: (i) its small size limits the use of light microscopy for cell counting and (ii) its extremely slow growth in broth and agar cultures impedes colony counting. Our aim was to develop a rapid and sensitive flow cytometric method using a vital fluorescent dye to enumerate viable M. agassizii cells. Methods and Results:, Here, we demonstrate that the nonfluorescent molecule 5-carboxyfluorescein (5-CF) diacetate acetoxymethyl ester penetrates M. agassizii cell membranes and it is converted in the cytoplasm to the fluorescent molecule 5-CF by the action of intracellular esterases. Labelled mycoplasma cells can be easily detected by flow cytometry, and cultures with as few as 100 viable mycoplasma cells ml,1 can be labelled and counted in less than 1 h. Experiments using temperature-induced cell death demonstrated that only viable M. agassizii cells are labelled with this procedure. Conclusions:, A rapid and sensitive flow cytometric technique has been developed for enumerating viable M. agassizii cells. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This technique should facilitate basic immunological, biochemical and pharmacological studies of this important pathogen which may lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. [source]

Biosensor detects few hundred mycoplasma cells in cell culture

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 6 2010
Article first published online: 24 FEB 2010
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Biotec Visions 2010, May,June

BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010
Article first published online: 3 MAY 2010
News:Ethanol biofuels from orange peels , Targeting leukaemia's gene addiction , Pea-derived solar cells , HIV is a kick in the head , Nano-scale DNA reader , Membrane in black , Cheese improves the immune response of elderly , Synthetic proteins built from standard parts , Therapeutic proteins produced in algae , Biosensor detects 100 mycoplasma cells , Protecting maggots against bacteria , Advanced biofuels from microbes , Fluorescent bacterial uptake , Two disparate stem cell states , Brachypodium genome sequenced Encyclopedia of Life Sciences: Nuclear transfer for cell lines WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology: Nanoparticle detection of respiratory infection Journal Highlights: Biocatalysis , Synthetic Biology In the news: Nanobiotech to detect cancer Most Read Industry News: Biomarker assays for personalized medicine , Bioplastic industry defies economic crisis , SDS-PAGE monitoring of mAB Awards: BTJ Editors elected members of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Meeting highlight Writing tips: Figure preparation made simple , Some useful tutorials on the web Book Highlights:Molecular Biotechnology , Bacterial Signaling , Yeast Test your knowledge:Do you recognize this? WIREs Authors Spotlight:Nanotechnology and orthopedics [source]