[Problems in detection of mycoplasma contamination in cell cultures (author's transl)]

A total of 135 cell lines was examined for mycoplasma contamination using two techniques: isolation and specific DNA-staining with DAPI or "Hoechst 33258". The two techniques showed similar results in 64% of the cases of cell contamination while the remainder was detected only by one or the other techniques: 12,82% by the staining technique and 23% by the isolation technique, which shows that the 2 techniques are complementary. The staining technique is very quick, easy to execute, very sensitive, and should be the method of choice to detect contamination when the mycoplasma do not grow in acellular media.