SUMMARY: Mycobacterium lepraemurium multiplies in a cell-free liquid medium, referred to as NC-5, which is enriched Kirchner medium plus goat serum, α-ketoglutaric acid, cytochrome c, haemin, and l-cysteine. At 30 °C, the bacilli gradually elongated before multiplying 100- to 1000-fold. The maximum number of bacilli is reached after 8 weeks’ incubation. The generation time of Mycobacterium lepraemurium is between 8 and 14 days, depending upon the size of inoculum. Bacilli grown in NC-5 medium maintain their capacity to produce leprosy in mice. Optimum growth was with the basal medium at pH 7·3 using a small number of bacilli in the inoculum.
ChangY. T.,
AndersonR. N.,
VaituzisZ.1967; Growth of Mycobacterium lepraemurium in cultures of mouse peritoneal macrophage. Journal of Bacteriology 93:1119–1131
GarbuttE. W.,
ReesT. J. W.,
BarrY. M.1962; Growth of Mycobacterium lepraemurium maintained in cultures of rat fibroblasts. Journal of General Microbiology 27:259–268
KirchnerO.1932; Die Leistungsfä;higkeit der Tiefenkultur des Tuberkelbazillus bei Verwendung be- sonders geeigneter fliissiger Nahrboden. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrank- heiten und Hygiene Abteilung I 124:403–412
NakamuraM.1972; Multiplication of Mycobacterium lepraemurium in cell-free medium containing α-ketoglutaric acid and cytochrome c
. Journal of General Microbiology 73:193–195
NakamuraM.,
UenoY.1963; A simple and sterile isolation method of Mycobacterium lepraemurium from infected tissues. Japanese Journal of Bacteriology 18:75–79