[Purity criteria for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus cultures]

Two-component cultures of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a bacterial parasite, are not always pure; sometimes they contain microbial forms, different from the host and parasite, which cannot be isolated by conventional techniques of inoculation on solid growth media. The only way to isolate them is to apply techniques used for the reversion of L-forms of bacteria. The isolated microorganisms have been identified. The criteria of purity were established for two-component cultures consisting of the host and parasite.