Elimination of Mycoplasmas from Infected Cell Lines Using Antibiotics (original) (raw)

Abstract

Mycoplasma contamination may have multiple effects on cultured cell lines and this can also have a significant influence on the results of scientific studies, and certainly on the quality of cell culture products used in medicine and pharmacology. The elimination of mycoplasma contamination from cell cultures is an inevitable need when contaminated cell lines cannot be replaced by mycoplasma-free cell lines. The eradication of mycoplasmas with specific antibiotics has been shown to be one of the most efficient methods to permanently cleanse the cell culture. The effective antibiotics belong to the classes of fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and tetracyclines. The protocols describe the single use of diverse fluoroqinolones as well as combination therapies with antibiotics from different antibiotic classes or of antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides. Special emphasis has been placed to assure eradication of mycoplasma without the development of resistant mycoplasma strains and to treat heavily infected and damaged cultures as well as cultures which are sensitive to specific antibiotics. Experience has shown that no detectable alterations are found to affect eukaryotic cells during the course of the treatment. Antibiotic treatment of mycoplasma infected cultures appears to be the most practical, robust, and efficient approach.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barile, M. F. and Rottem, S. (1993) Mycoplasmas in cell culture. In: Rapid Diagnosis of Mycoplasmas (Kahane I, Adoni A, eds), Plenum Press, New York, 155–93.
    Chapter Google Scholar
  2. Drexler, H. G. and Uphoff, C. C. (2002) Mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures: Incidence, sources, effects, detection, elimination, prevention Cytotechnol 39, 23–38.
    Google Scholar
  3. Uphoff, C. C. and Drexler, H.G. (2001) Prevention of mycoplasma contamination in leukemia-lymphoma cell lines. Human Cell 14, 244–7.
    PubMed CAS Google Scholar
  4. Uphoff, C. C., Meyer, C., and Drexler, H. G. (2002) Elimination of mycoplasma from leukemia-lymphoma cell lines using antibiotics. Leukemia 16, 284–8.
    Article PubMed CAS Google Scholar
  5. Fehri, L. F., Wróblewski, H., and Blanchard, A. (2007) Activities of antimicrobial peptides and synergy with enrofloxacin against Mycoplasma pulmonis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 51, 468–74.
    Article CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
    Cord C. Uphoff

Authors

  1. Cord C. Uphoff
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. Hans G. Drexler
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence toCord C. Uphoff .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Translation Oncology Research Centre, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Southwick Hill Road, Portsmouth, P06 3LY, United Kingdom
    Ian A. Cree

Rights and permissions

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Uphoff, C.C., Drexler, H.G. (2011). Elimination of Mycoplasmas from Infected Cell Lines Using Antibiotics. In: Cree, I. (eds) Cancer Cell Culture. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 731. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-080-5\_9

Download citation

Publish with us