CYTOPATHOGENIC MYCOPLASMAS ASSOCIATED WITH TWO HUMAN TUMORS. II. MORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS.

Hummeler, K. (The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.), D. Armstrong, and N. Tomassini. Cytopathogenic mycoplasmas associated with two human tumors. II. Morphological aspects. J. Bacteriol. 90:511-516. 1965.-Cytopathic effects (CPE) produced in HeLa cell cultures by two strains of mycoplasmas (F-11 and F-12) were studied by light and electron microscopy. CPE, which was marked by cytoplasmic vacuolization, did not appear to depend on intracellular mycoplasma infection. The cytopathogenic mycoplasmas appeared to be similar, both morphologically and in their intra- and extracellular distribution, to noncytopathogenic mycoplasmas previously studied by others. The probability that the CPE is related to depletion of essential nutrients is discussed, and the fine structure of the mycoplasmas is described.