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Evidence that Lo's mycoplasma (Mycoplasma fermentans incognitus) is not a unique strain among Mycoplasma fermentans strains.

Department of General Biologics Control, National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan.

ABSTRACT

Mycoplasma fermentans incognitus has attracted much interest either as a cofactor for the progression of AIDS or as a pathogenic agent in non-AIDS-related diseases (S.-C. Lo, M. S. Dawson, P. B. Newton III, M. A. Sonoda, J. W.-K. Shih, W. F. Engler, R. Y.-H. Wang, and D. J. Wear, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 41:364-376, 1989; S.-C. Lo, M. S. Dawson, M. Wong, P. B. Newton III, M. A. Sonoda, W. F. Engler, R.Y.-H Wang, J. W.-K. Shih, H. J. Alter, and D. J. Wear, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 41:601-616, 1989; S.-C. Lo, J.W.-K. Shih, N.-Y. Yang, C.-Y. Ou, and R. Y.-H. Wang, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 40:213-226, 1989). In the present study, the genetic and serologic properties of the incognitus strain and other M. fermentans strains were compared. Furthermore, the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), determined by reverse transcriptase activity and HIV-1 p24 antigen level, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was evaluated after stimulation with mycoplasma cell lysates. The psb-2.2 viruslike infectious agent DNA probe, used to identify the incognitus strain in the tissues of AIDS and non-AIDS patients by Lo et al. (Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 41:364-376 and 40:213-226, 1989), showed reaction patterns similar to those of two M. fermentans strains isolated from cell cultures but not to that of the type strain PG18. Restriction enzyme patterns of the incognitus strain with EcoRI and HindIII were also similar to those of M. fermentans strains isolated from cell cultures. There were no remarkable differences in the immunoblot profiles between the incognitus strain and the other M. fermentans strains. These results suggest that the incognitus strain is not a unique strain among M. fermentans strains. Further, cell lysates of each M. fermentans strain could also enhance the replication of HIV-1 to a level similar to that of the incognitus strain as determined by the reverse transcriptase activity and the amount of the p24 antigen.

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