MYCOPLASMAS - SOPHISTICATED, REEMERGING, AND BURDENED BY THEIR NOTORIETY

Citation
Jb. Baseman et Jg. Tully, MYCOPLASMAS - SOPHISTICATED, REEMERGING, AND BURDENED BY THEIR NOTORIETY, EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 3(1), 1997, pp. 21-32
Citations number
79
Categorie Soggetti
Immunology,"Infectious Diseases
Volume
3
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
21 - 32
Database
ISI
SICI code
Abstract
Mycoplasmas are most unusual self-replicating bacteria, possessing ver y small genomes, lacking cell wall components, requiring cholesterol f or membrane function and growth, using UGA codon for tryptophan, passi ng through ''bacterial-retaining'' filters, and displaying genetic eco nomy that requires a strict dependence on the host for nutrients and r efuge. 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 su rvival is achieved through surface parasitism of target cells, acquisi tion of essential biosynthetic precursors, and in some cases, subseque nt entry and survival intracellularly. Misconceptions concerning the r ole of mycoplasmas in disease pathogenesis can be directly attributed to their biological subtleties and to fundamental deficits in understa nding their virulence capabilities. In this review, we highlight the b iology and pathogenesis of these procaryotes and provide new evidence that may lead to increased appreciation of their role as human pathoge ns.