Jd. Pollack et al., REDUCTION OF BENZYL VIOLOGEN DISTINGUISHES GENERA OF THE CLASS MOLLICUTES, International journal of systematic bacteriology, 46(4), 1996, pp. 881-884
We tested the ability of 62 growing strains belonging to the class Mol
licutes to reduce the redox indicator and free-radical generator 1,1'-
dibenzyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride (benzylviologen [BV]) to a blue-
violet-purple color, BV was reduced by 12 Acholeplasma species but not
by Acholeplasma multiforme PN525(T) (T = type strain), BV was also re
duced by five of nine Mesoplasma species and by four of six Entomoplas
ma species, BV was not reduced by 19 Mycoplasma species, six Spiroplas
ma species, five unnamed Spiroplasma strains belonging to different se
rogroups, three Ureaplasma species, and one unnamed Ureaplasma strain,
The BV-reducing ability was localized in the membrane of Acholeplasma
laidlawii B-PG9 and was dependent on NADH, Reduction of BV could be e
xpressed in mixed cultures, and this activity may be useful for recogn
izing the contaminating presence of an Acholeplasma species, The reduc
tive BV response may have phylogenetic value, We believe that the test
described in this paper readily distinguishes all Acholeplasma specie
s and some Mesoplasma and Entomoplasma species from all Mycoplasma, Sp
iroplasma, and Ureaplasma species tested.