Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1995 Sep;33(9):2271–2279. doi: 10.1128/jcm.33.9.2271-2279.1995

Comparison of Mycoplasma arthritidis strains by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblotting, and DNA restriction analysis.

L R Washburn 1, L L Voelker 1, L J Ehle 1, S Hirsch 1, C Dutenhofer 1, K Olson 1, B Beck 1
PMCID: PMC228394  PMID: 7494014

Abstract

Twenty Mycoplasma arthritidis strains or isolates were compared by a combination of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by an antiserum adsorption technique, Western immunoblotting, and restriction analysis of chromosomal DNA. Antigenic markers that defined strains related to strains 158p10p9, PG6, and H606 were identified. In addition, restriction analysis allowed all 20 strains to be divided into six groups. Results of restriction analysis corresponded generally with antigenic similarities, although the former did not allow grouping with as fine a precision as the latter. However, intrastrain antigenic variability, which is common among many Mycoplasma species, including M. arthritidis, introduced a complicating factor into our attempts at antigenic analysis. While serologic and antigenic analyses remain useful, we recommend that they be used with caution and in combination with other techniques for identifying and characterizing new isolates and newly acquired strains. Combinations of these techniques have proven to be useful in our laboratory for quality control and for uncovering interesting relationships among strains subjected to animal passage and their less virulent antecedents and among strains originally classified as the same but obtained from different sources and maintained, sometimes for decades, in different laboratories.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.0 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander A. G., Kenny G. E. Characterization of the strain-specific and common surface antigens of Mycoplasma arginini. Infect Immun. 1980 Aug;29(2):442–451. doi: 10.1128/iai.29.2.442-451.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cole B. C., Miller M. L., Ward J. R. A comparative study on the virulence of Mycoplasma arthritidis and "Mycoplasma hominis, type 2" strains in rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1967 Jan;124(1):103–107. doi: 10.3181/00379727-124-31676. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cole B. C., Ward J. R., Jones R. S., Cahill J. F. Chronic proliferative arthritis of mice induced by Mycoplasma arthritidis. I. Induction of disease and histopathological characteristics. Infect Immun. 1971 Oct;4(4):344–355. doi: 10.1128/iai.4.4.344-355.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cox N. R., Davidson M. K., Davis J. K., Lindsey J. R., Cassell G. H. Natural mycoplasmal infections in isolator-maintained LEW/Tru rats. Lab Anim Sci. 1988 Aug;38(4):381–388. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DELBARRE F., KAHAN A., AMOR B., KAHN M. F. POLYARTHRITE DU RAT 'A MYCOPLASMA ARTHRITIDIS. I. REPRODUCTION EXP'ERIMENTALE. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil. 1964;158:1006–1008. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Del Giudice R. A., Robillard N. F., Carski T. R. Immunofluorescence identification of Mycoplasma on agar by use of incident illumination. J Bacteriol. 1967 Apr;93(4):1205–1209. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.4.1205-1209.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. EDWARD D. G., FREUNDT E. A. The classification and nomenclature of organisms of the pleuropneumonia group. J Gen Microbiol. 1956 Feb;14(1):197–207. doi: 10.1099/00221287-14-1-197. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Frey J., Haldimann A., Nicolet J. Chromosomal heterogeneity of various Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae field strains. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1992 Apr;42(2):275–280. doi: 10.1099/00207713-42-2-275. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Golightly-Rowland L., Cole B. C., Ward J. R., Wiley B. B. Effect of Animal Passage on Arthritogenic and Biological Properties of Mycoplasma arthritidis. Infect Immun. 1970 Jun;1(6):538–545. doi: 10.1128/iai.1.6.538-545.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hannan P. C., Hughes B. O. Reproducible polyarthritis in rats caused by Mycoplasma arthritidis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1971 May;30(3):316–321. doi: 10.1136/ard.30.3.316. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Harasawa R., Koshimizu K., Pan I. J., Stephens E. B., Barile M. F. Genomic analysis of avian and feline ureaplasmas by restriction endonucleases. Isr J Med Sci. 1984 Oct;20(10):942–945. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hill A., Dagnall G. J. Experimental polyarthritis in rats produced by Mycoplasma arthritidis. J Comp Pathol. 1975 Jan;85(1):45–52. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(75)90083-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hollingdale M. R., Lemcke R. M. Antigenic differences within the species Mycoplasma hominis. J Hyg (Lond) 1970 Sep;68(3):469–477. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400042376. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ionas G., Norman N. G., Clarke J. K., Marshall R. B. A study of the heterogeneity of isolates of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae from sheep in New Zealand. Vet Microbiol. 1991 Nov;29(3-4):339–347. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(91)90141-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Khan M. I., Yamamoto R. Differentiation of the vaccine F-strain from other strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum by restriction endonuclease analysis. Vet Microbiol. 1989 Feb;19(2):167–174. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(89)90081-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Klein G. Das pathogenetische Konzept der experimentellen Mykoplasma-Arthritis. Fortschr Med. 1977 Feb 17;95(7):408–413. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kotani H., McGarrity G. J. Identification of mycoplasma colonies by immunobinding. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Apr;23(4):783–785. doi: 10.1128/jcm.23.4.783-785.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. LEMCKE R. M. THE SEROLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF MYCOPLASMA STRAINS (PLEURO-PNEUMONIA-LIKE ORGANISMS) FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. J Hyg (Lond) 1964 Jun;62:199–219. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400039930. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. LIEBERMAN P. R., SMITH P. F., MORTON H. E. The susceptibility of pleuropneumonia-like organisms to the in vitro action of antibiotics: aureomycin, chloramphenicol, dihydrostreptomycin, streptomycin, and sodium penicillin G. J Urol. 1950 Jul;64(1):167–173. doi: 10.1016/S0022-5347(17)68616-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Laber G., Walzl H., Schütze E. Klinische und histopathologische Befunde bei der Mykoplasma-Polyarthritis der Ratte. I. Der Ablauf der Infektion in den ersten 8 Tagen. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig A. 1975;230(3):385–397. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ley D. H., Avakian A. P. An outbreak of Mycoplasma synoviae infection in North Carolina turkeys: comparison of isolates by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and restriction endonuclease analysis. Avian Dis. 1992 Jul-Sep;36(3):672–678. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mew A. J., Ionas G., Clarke J. K., Robinson A. J., Marshall R. B. Comparison of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae isolates using bacterial restriction endonuclease DNA analysis and SDS-PAGE. Vet Microbiol. 1985 Dec;10(6):541–548. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(85)90063-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Minion F. C., Brown M. B., Cassell G. H. Identification of cross-reactive antigens between Mycoplasma pulmonis and Mycoplasma arthritidis. Infect Immun. 1984 Jan;43(1):115–121. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.115-121.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. NICOL C. S., EDWARD D. G. Role of organisms of the pleuropneumonia group in human genital infections. Br J Vener Dis. 1953 Sep;29(3):141–150. doi: 10.1136/sti.29.3.141. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Nichols E. J., Kenny G. E. Immunochemical characterization of a heat-stable surface antigen of Mycoplasma pulmonis expressing both species-specific and strain-specific determinants. Infect Immun. 1984 May;44(2):355–363. doi: 10.1128/iai.44.2.355-363.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Rodwell A. W. Emmy Klieneberger-Nobel Award Lecture: The protein fingerprints of mycoplasmas. Rev Infect Dis. 1982 May-Jun;4 (Suppl):S8–17. doi: 10.1093/clinids/4.supplement_1.s8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rosengarten R., Theiss P. M., Yogev D., Wise K. S. Antigenic variation in Mycoplasma hyorhinis: increased repertoire of variable lipoproteins expanding surface diversity and structural complexity. Infect Immun. 1993 May;61(5):2224–2228. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.5.2224-2228.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rosengarten R., Wise K. S. Phenotypic switching in mycoplasmas: phase variation of diverse surface lipoproteins. Science. 1990 Jan 19;247(4940):315–318. doi: 10.1126/science.1688663. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rosengarten R., Wise K. S. The Vlp system of Mycoplasma hyorhinis: combinatorial expression of distinct size variant lipoproteins generating high-frequency surface antigenic variation. J Bacteriol. 1991 Aug;173(15):4782–4793. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.15.4782-4793.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Runge M., Binder A., Gurr E., Fischer M., Meier J., Kirchhoff H. Epitope-sharing between Mycoplasma arthritidis and chondrocytes demonstrated by monoclonal antibodies. Zentralbl Bakteriol. 1990 Sep;273(4):531–538. doi: 10.1016/s0934-8840(11)80460-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Schütze E. Mykoplasma-Modell-Infektionen bei kleinen Laboratoriumstieren. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig. 1968;208(1):301–320. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Stadtlander C. T., Watson H. L. Protein and antigen variability among strains of Mycoplasma arthritidis. Zentralbl Bakteriol. 1992 Feb;276(3):407–417. doi: 10.1016/s0934-8840(11)80548-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Stulle K., Binder A., Sommer G., Kirchhoff H. Immunological reaction of rat tissue cells with antiserum against Mycoplasma arthritidis membranes in indirect immunofluorescence test. Zentralbl Veterinarmed B. 1988 Nov;35(9):713–715. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0450.1988.tb00549.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. TULLY J. G. BIOCHEMICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL, AND SEROLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MYCOPLASMA OF MURINE ORIGIN. J Infect Dis. 1965 Apr;115:171–185. doi: 10.1093/infdis/115.2.171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. WARD J. R., JONES R. S. The pathogenesis of mycoplasma (PPLO) arthritis in rats. Arthritis Rheum. 1962 Apr;5:163–175. doi: 10.1002/art.1780050205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Washburn L. R., Cole B. C., Gelman M. I., Ward J. R. Chronic arthritis of rabbits induced by mycoplasmas. I. Clinical microbiologic, and histologic features. Arthritis Rheum. 1980 Jul;23(7):825–836. doi: 10.1002/art.1780230709. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Washburn L. R., Cole B. C., Ward J. R. Chronic arthritis of rabbits induced by mycoplasmas. II. Antibody response and the deposition of immune complexes. Arthritis Rheum. 1980 Jul;23(7):837–845. doi: 10.1002/art.1780230710. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Washburn L. R., Cole B. C., Ward J. R. Expression of metabolism-inhibition antibodies against Mycoplasma arthritidis in rats. Am J Vet Res. 1988 Jan;49(1):52–57. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Washburn L. R., Hirsch S. Comparison of four Mycoplasma arthritidis strains by enzyme immunoassay, metabolism inhibition, one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis, and immunoblotting. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Sep;28(9):1974–1981. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.9.1974-1981.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Washburn L. R., Hirsch S., Voelker L. L. Mechanisms of attachment of Mycoplasma arthritidis to host cells in vitro. Infect Immun. 1993 Jun;61(6):2670–2680. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.6.2670-2680.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Washburn L. R., Ramsay J. R., Andrews M. B. Recognition of Mycoplasma arthritidis membrane antigens by rats and rabbits: comparison by immunoblotting and radioimmunoprecipitation. Vet Microbiol. 1988 May;17(1):45–57. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(88)90078-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Washburn L. R., Ramsay J. R. Experimental induction of arthritis in LEW rats and antibody response to four Mycoplasma arthritidis strains. Vet Microbiol. 1989 Nov;21(1):41–55. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(89)90017-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES