Correlation of Mycoplasma-pulmonis-mediated hemolysis with translocation of a fluorescent cholesterol probe.

The relation between Mycoplasma pulmonis-mediated hemolysis and translocation of a unique fluorescent cholesterol probe was examined. The probe, cholesteryl 12(4-methyl-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole) dodecanoate, had fluorescent properties, which permitted microscopic assessment of probe transfer. Significant translocation occurred only after trypsin treatment of the erythrocyte, and the rate of transfer was increased in the presence of bovine serum albumin. This correlated with the previously reported hemolytic activity of M. pulmonis, thus relating the two activities and permitting their integration into a mycoplasma-eukaryotic cell-cell interaction model.