Molecular Identification and Characterization of Avian Mycoplasmas

Abstract

Serological techniques are recommended procedures for the identification of Mycoplasma species. They enable separation of mycoplasmas at the species level and are widely used for practical laboratory identification of the isolated microorganisms. However, complex growth media are required for the isolation of Mycoplasma species and some strains of pathogenic Mycoplasma species grow very fastidious and can not be cultured. Introduction of DNA based diagnostic methods in mycoplasma research enabled survey of the whole genome in a single assay and reveal also information about non-coding regions of the genome. Restriction enzyme analysis is a powerful method for differentiation of close related strains but requires high quality of DNA which can only be obtained from cultured mycoplasmas. The increasing number of cloned mycoplasma genomic fragments are successfully used for identification and differentiation of mycoplasma strains and species in hybridization studies. The polymerase chain reaction enables identification and characterization of mycoplasmas without culture directly from clinical material. Large genomic sequencing projects produced complete nucleotide sequence from two Mycoplasma species and several more are in progress. This data will open the possibility to understand better the biology of mycoplasmas.