Details:

Alternative Title:
Emerg Infect Dis
Personal Author:
Baseman, J. B. ; Tully, J. G.
Baseman, J. B. ; Tully, J. G. Less -
Description:
Mycoplasmas are most unusual self-replicating bacteria, possessing very small genomes, lacking cell wall components, requiring cholesterol for membrane function and growth, using UGA codon for tryptophan, passing through "bacterial-retaining" filters, and displaying genetic economy that requires a strict dependence on the host for nutrients and refuge. In addition, many of the mycoplasmas pathogenic for humans and animals possess extraordinary specialized tip organelles that mediate their intimate interaction with eucaryotic cells. This host-adapted survival is achieved through surface parasitism of target cells, acquisition of essential biosynthetic precursors, and in some cases, subsequent entry and survival intracellularly. Misconceptions concerning the role of mycoplasmas in disease pathogenesis can be directly attributed to their biological subtleties and to fundamental deficits in understanding their virulence capabilities. In this review, we highlight the biology and pathogenesis of these procaryotes and provide new evidence that may lead to increased appreciation of their role as human pathogens.
Subject:
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AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections
Animals
Arthritis
Bacterial Adhesion
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
Crohn Disease
History, 20th Century
Humans
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma Infections
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Persian Gulf Syndrome

Source:
Emerg Infect Dis. 3(1):21-32.
Document Type:
Journal Article
Collection(s):
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:b1fb9251e5806120f57501e60a0151aa75a2dbdaa9dd788281f23bf1f40f75b4
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	9126441.nxml	txt
  	license.txt	txt

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