Influence of mycoplasma contamination on the concentration and composition of extracellular RNA

Kinetics of extracellular RNA accumulation in culture medium and at the cell surface along with their composition and distribution among cell-free and cell-surface-bound fractions were investigated in mycoplasma-contaminated and mycoplasma-free HeLa cells. It was shown that the mycoplasma infection influenced the concentration and kinetics of accumulation of total extracellular RNA and the distribution of specific RNA fragments among cell-free and cell-surface-bound fractions. Fragments of immature rRNA were found in culture of mycoplasma-infected HeLa cells. The data obtained indicate the existence of selective mechanisms providing binding of RNA with cell surface and their excretion out of cells.