This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cole, R. M. Articles by Bové, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cole, R. M. Articles by Bové, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1973 July; 115(1): 367-386
Copyright © 1973 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Morphology, Ultrastructure, and Bacteriophage Infection of the Helical Mycoplasma-Like Organism (Spiroplasma citri gen. nov., sp. nov.) Cultured from "Stubborn" Disease of Citrus

¹ Laboratory of Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, and Station de Physiologie et de Biochemie Vegetales, I.N.R.A., Centre de Recherches de Bordeaux, Domaine de la Grande-Ferrande, 33, Pont-de-la-Maye

ABSTRACT

The mycoplasma-like organism Spiroplasma citri gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from citrus infected with "Stubborn" disease and carried in serial cultures in several media, was examined by dark-field microscopy and electron microscopy of negatively-stained and shadowed preparations and of sections. It grows as motile, helical filaments in liquid, but as nonmotile, nonhelical filaments and round bodies in agar cultures. Helicity and motility are lost in old broth cultures and upon addition of a variety of negative stains, fixatives, and other solutions. No organelles accounting for motility are present, but a layer of surface projections is present on the surface of the single, bounding membrane. The mycoplasma produces a tailed, type B bacteriophage which appear to attach to the outer layer. Helical filaments are preserved in ammonium molybdate, but not in sodium phosphotungstate, and by fixation in Formalin or glutaraldehyde made up in medium, but not by osmium nor by glutaraldehyde in cacodylate buffer. This mycoplasma appears similar to the noncultured helical microorganism in corn stunt-diseased tissues and is probably a representative of a new group of mycoplasmas which are in possession of surface projections, rotary motility, and bacteriophage infection.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Duret, S., Danet, J.-L., Garnier, M., Renaudin, J. (1999). Gene Disruption through Homologous Recombination in Spiroplasma citri: an scm1-Disrupted Motility Mutant Is Pathogenic. J. Bacteriol. 181: 7449-7456 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cole, R., Mitchell, W., Garon, C. (1977). Spiroplasmavirus citri 3: propagation, purification, proteins, and nucleic acid. Science 198: 1262-1263 [Abstract]  
• Tully, J., Whitcomb, R., Clark, H., Williamson, D. (1977). Pathogenic mycoplasmas: cultivation and vertebrate pathogenicity of a new spiroplasma. Science 195: 892-894 [Abstract]  
• Chen, T. A., Liao, C. H. (1975). Corn Stunt Spiroplasma: Isolation, Cultivation, and Proof of Pathogenicity. Science 188: 1015-1017 [Abstract]  
• Williamson, D. L., Whitcomb, R. F. (1975). Plant Mycoplasmas: A Cultivable Spiroplasma Causes Corn Stunt Disease. Science 188: 1018-1020 [Abstract]  
• Whitcomb, R. F., Tully, J. G., Bove, J. M., Saglio, P. (1973). Spiroplasmas and Acholeplasmas: Multiplication in Insects. Science 182: 1251-1253 [Abstract]  
• Tully, J. G., Whitcomb, R. F., Bove, J. M., Saglio, P. (1973). Plant Mycoplasmas: Serological Relation between Agents Associated with Citrus Stubborn and Corn Stunt Diseases. Science 182: 827-829 [Abstract]