Razin S
Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1992 Dec 15;100(1-3):423-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1992.tb14072.x.
Mycoplasmas are the smallest and simplest prokaryotes capable of self-replication, with information provided by a genome which may be as small as 600 kb, estimated to carry less than 500 genes. Keeping the number of structural elements, metabolic pathways and components of the protein synthesizing machinery to an essential minimum places mycoplasmas closest to the concept of 'minimum cells'. Mycoplasmas are, therefore, most adequate candidates for the complete deciphering of the machinery of a self-replicating organism, and studies towards this goal are already underway. Living as 'minimum cells' was made possible by adopting a parasitic mode of life, securing from the host the many nutrients which cannot be synthesized by the mycoplasmas themselves. When pathogenic, infections by mycoplasmas usually follow a chronic course, with host immune reactions playing an important role in symptom production. Recent studies on the possible association of mycoplasmas with rheumatoid arthritis and AIDS are reviewed.
支原体是能够自我复制的最小且最简单的原核生物，其基因组所携带的信息可能小至600 kb，估计携带的基因少于500个。支原体将结构元件、代谢途径以及蛋白质合成机制的组成部分数量维持在基本的最低限度，使其最接近“最小细胞”的概念。因此，支原体是完全破译自我复制生物体机制的最合适候选者，并且朝着这一目标的研究已经在进行中。通过采用寄生生活方式，支原体从宿主那里获取自身无法合成的多种营养物质，从而得以像“最小细胞”一样生存。当支原体致病时，感染通常呈慢性病程，宿主免疫反应在症状产生中起重要作用。本文综述了近期关于支原体与类风湿性关节炎和艾滋病可能关联的研究。
