Insect cell cultures in the study of attachment and pathogenicity of spiroplasmas and mycoplasmas.

The insect cell lines Dm-1 (Drosophila melanogaster), AS-2 (Aceratagallia sanguinolenta) and AC-20 (Agallia constricta) were infected with spiroplasmas, mycoplasmas and Acholeplasma laidlawii. In Dm-1 cultures maintained at 25 degrees C in M1A medium, all strains multiplied except M. hyorhinis and the uncultivable sex-ratio organism. Spiroplasma citri R8A2, S. floricola BNR-1 and OBMG, S. apis PPS-1 and the strains BC-3, corn stunt spiroplasma (CSS) and 277F produced cytopathogenic effects (CPE), whereas S. mirum SMCA, M. orale, M. arginini and A. laidlawii did not. Cytadsorption was found with the cultivable spiroplasmas and A. laidlawii. At 30 degrees C SMCA, M. orale, M. arginini and A. laidlawii killed the Dm-1 cultures. M. hyorhinis grew without any CPE. In AS-2 and AC-20 cultures grown at 28 degrees C in LB medium, R8A2, B88, 277F, BNR-1 and PPS-1 multiplied and reached titres of 2 X 10(8) to 4 X 10(9) CFU/ml. They produced CPE leading to culture death. CSS did not grow. R8A2 reached higher titres in AS-2 cultures than in fresh LB medium. This stimulating factor was studied by means of conditioned medium. All 6 spiroplasmas cytadsorbed to AS-2 and AC-20 cells. B88 and 277F adsorbed heavily, while the other 4 strains adsorbed only slightly. Fluorescent DNA staining with "Hoechst 33258" revealed the presence of non-helical forms inside the cells.