Related Experiment Videos
Studies on infectious mononucleosis: a progress report
Abstract:
The authors recently reported the occurrence of an unstable cytopathic effect and a "first passage" interference phenomenon in tissue culture as well as the detection of antigens by immunofluorescence following inoculation of material from patients with infectious mononucleosis.These tissue cultures have since been discovered to be contaminated by a bacterial L-form. The part played by the contaminant in the results obtained has been determined: it can explain only one of the patterns shown by immunofluorescence.The same labile interference phenomenon has been observed by two independent investigators.
Insights
Bacterial L-form contamination was found in infectious mononucleosis tissue cultures. This contaminant explained some, but not all, observed immunofluorescence patterns and cytopathic effects.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Previous studies reported unstable cytopathic effects and interference phenomena in tissue cultures inoculated with infectious mononucleosis (IM) material.
- Immunofluorescence detected antigens in these cultures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of a bacterial L-form contaminant found in IM tissue cultures.
- To determine if the contaminant could explain the observed experimental results.
Main Methods:
- Tissue cultures inoculated with IM material were analyzed.
- Immunofluorescence assays were performed.
- Bacterial L-form contamination was identified and characterized.
Main Results:
- The bacterial L-form contaminant was identified in the tissue cultures.
- The contaminant could only account for one observed immunofluorescence pattern.
- A labile interference phenomenon was independently observed by other researchers, suggesting it is a genuine biological effect.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial L-form contamination partially explains previously reported findings in IM tissue cultures.
- The labile interference phenomenon observed in IM cultures is likely a real biological event, not solely due to bacterial contamination.