RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 POLLACK, J. DENNIS A1 BANZON, JONATHAN A1 DONELSON, KELLY A1 TULLY, JOSEPH G. A1 DAVIS, JOHN W. A1 HACKETT, KEVIN J. A1 AGBANYIM, CALISTA A1 MILES, ROGER J.YR 1996 T1 Reduction of Benzyl Viologen Distinguishes Genera of the Class Mollicutes JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 46 IS 4 SP 881 OP 884 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-46-4-881 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB We tested the ability of 62 growing strains belonging to the class Mollicutes to reduce the redox indicator and free-radical generator 1,1’-dibenzyl-4,4’-bipyridinium dichloride (benzyl viologen [BV]) to a blue-violet-purple color. BV was reduced by 12 Acholeplasma species but not by Acholeplasma multiforme PN525T (T = type strain). BV was also reduced by five of nine Mesoplasma species and by four of six Entomoplasma species. BV was not reduced by 19 Mycoplasma species, six Spiroplasma species, five unnamed Spiroplasma strains belonging to different serogroups, three Ureaplasma species, and one unnamed Ureaplasma strain. The BV-reducing ability was localized in the membrane of Acholeplasma laidlawii B-PG9 and was dependent on NADH. Reduction of BV could be expressed in mixed cultures, and this activity may be useful for recognizing the contaminating presence of an Acholeplasma species. The reductive BV response may have phylogenetic value. We believe that the test described in this paper readily distinguishes all Acholeplasma species and some Mesoplasma and Entomoplasma species from all Mycoplasma, Spiroplasma, and Ureaplasma species tested., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-46-4-881