ETIOLOGY OF TRANSMISSIBLE MURINE COLONIC HYPERPLASIA

Abstract

The etiology of a transmissible colonic hyperplasia of mice was investigated. Hyperplasia was produced in mice inoculated with unfiltered colonic suspension from affected mice, but infectivity was lost after passage through a 0.45 .mu.m filter. The etiologic agent was subsequently identified as a variant of Citrobacter freundii. The organism induced colonic mucosal hyperplasia when inoculated into germfree mice, and was recovered in pure culture from the affected animals.