PATHOGENICITY AND CYTADHERENCE OF MYCOPLASMA IMITANS IN CHICKEN AND DUCK EMBRYO TRACHEAL ORGAN-CULTURES

Two strains of the avian organism Mycoplasma imitans were examined for pathogenicity and cytadherence in chicken and duck embryo tracheal or gan cultures, and a virulent strain of the related pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum was included for comparison. All consistently caused ci liostasis in tracheal explants from both hosts, and examination of inf ected tissues by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microsco py demonstrated that M. imitans proliferated on the epithelial surface and adhered to the respiratory epithelium by means of its terminal ti p structure in the same manner as M. gallisepticum. These observations endorse the striking phenotypic similarities between M. imitans and M . gallisepticum and suggest that M. initans may have pathogenic potent ial in vivo.