
recovery of mycoplasmas in the study of
human leukaemia and other malignancies
numerous reports have been published concerning the
necessity of testing for the presence of mycoplasmas before
the interpretation of experiments performed in cell
cultures.  such tests are especially important when
the presence of viruses is suspected, since recent evidence
indicates that some mycoplasmas are capable of eliciting
a transmissible cytopathic effect.
in addition, some mycoplasmas and viruses share
properties, such as size, filterability, morphology in
electron microscopy, sensitivity to ether, ability to
haemagglutinate and cause haemadsorption, interference
with virus replication in vitro, lack of inhibition by certain
commonly used antibiotics and inhibition of growth by
homologous antiserum.  thus, the absence of ordinary
bacteria and moulds in preparations eliciting a cytopathic
effect in cell cultures is an unreliable criterion for viral
identification.  great caution should be exercised in
classifying new agents as viruses, especially as myxo-
viruses, without adequate testing to exclude their identity
as mycoplasmas.
