SUMMARY: A method is described for determining the sterol requirement of a mycoplasma to permit its classification either among the sterol-requiring Mycoplasmataceae or the sterol-independent Acholeplasmataceae. A filtered washed suspension is inoculated on media with and without various concentrations of cholesterol and the development of growth noted by microscopical examination.
The sterol requirement was determined for three mycoplasmas whose growth on serum-free media for several subcultures had been claimed. Mycoplasma anatis and Bovine Group 7 were found to be sterol-dependent, but Bovine Group 6 grew without sterol, although under certain circumstances promotion of growth by cholesterol was noted through counteraction of an inhibitory effect.
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