McAuliffe Laura, Ellis Richard J, Miles Katie, Ayling Roger D, Nicholas Robin A J
Mycoplasma Group, Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacterial Diseases, Veterinary Laboratories Agency (Weybridge), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berks SL5 7PY, UK.
Microbiology (Reading). 2006 Apr;152(Pt 4):913-922. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.28604-0.
Although mycoplasmas possess a very limited genome, little is known about their virulence mechanisms and methods of persistence in the host. Examination of a wide range of mycoplasma species found considerable variation in their ability to form a biofilm. Mycoplasma putrefaciens, M. cottewii, M. yeatsii, M. agalactiae and M. bovis produced prolific biofilms. Conversely, the highly pathogenic mycoplasma and causative agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC, was unable to produce a biofilm. Biofilms were found to be considerably more resistant to stress, including heat and desiccation, than planktonic cells. A link between the biofilm phenotype and genotype as determined by molecular typing was found for M. bovis. Analysis of biofilms using fluorescent staining combined with confocal microscopy demonstrated that mycoplasma biofilms formed a highly differentiated structure with stacks and channels. Biofilm formation may indicate that mycoplasmas are capable of surviving in the environment.
尽管支原体的基因组非常有限，但关于它们的毒力机制以及在宿主体内持续存在的方式却知之甚少。对多种支原体物种的研究发现，它们形成生物膜的能力存在很大差异。腐败支原体、考氏支原体、耶氏支原体、无乳支原体和牛支原体能大量产生生物膜。相反，高度致病性的支原体以及传染性牛胸膜肺炎的病原体——丝状支原体丝状亚种小菌落型（Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC）则无法产生生物膜。研究发现，生物膜比浮游细胞对包括热和干燥在内的应激具有更强的抵抗力。通过分子分型确定，牛支原体的生物膜表型与基因型之间存在联系。利用荧光染色结合共聚焦显微镜对生物膜进行分析表明，支原体生物膜形成了具有堆叠和通道的高度分化结构。生物膜的形成可能表明支原体能够在环境中存活。
