TABLE 1.

Unique properties of nanobacteria (7) with respect to those of viruses, prions, and bacteria^a

Property	Presence and/or characterization of property in:
	Nanobacteria	Viral particles	Prion particles	Bacteria
Size (nm)	50-300	20-250	<250	>250
Cell wall	CaP, atypical	None, protein-lipid layer	−	+
Presence of:
Nucleic acids	Some, atypical	+, atypical	−	+
Proteins	+	+	+	+
Carbohydrates	+	+	+	+
Self-replication	+	−	−	+
Growth in DMEMb	+	−	−	+
Uridine incorporation	+	−	−	+
Resistance to γ-irradiation (Mrad)	≈2.5	<2.5	>2.5	<0.1->6.0
Resistance to boiling temperature	+	−/+	+	−
Resistance to disinfectants	+	−/+	+	−
Resistance to antibiotics	−/+	+	+	−/+
Sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil	+	−/+	−	−/+
Sensitivity to cytosine arabinoside	+	+	−	Unknown
Sensitivity to bisphosphonates	+	−	−	−
Immunogenicity	+	+	−	+
Ability to cause inflammation	+	+	−	+
Lipopolysaccharide content	+	−	−	+ (gram negative)
Ability to cause host cell death	+	+	Specific	+ in some
Ability to cause pathologic calcification	+	+ in a few	−	+ in a few
Biofilm formation	+	−	−	+
Presence in atherosclerotic plaques	+	+ in some	−	+ in a few

^a+, present; −, absent.

^bDMEM, Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium.