Nutritional Requirements and Metabolism of Mycoplasma laidlawii

Abstract

SUMMARY: A study of the nutritional requirements of Mycoplasma laidlawii has led to the development of a growth medium containing inorganic salts, amino acids, glucose, nucleosides, vitamins and 1% (w/v) bovine serum albumin fraction V. No cholesterol was detected in this medium. Potassium, magnesium and phosphate ions were essential growth requirements. Sodium chloride provided the high tonicity required by the growth medium. The addition of an ammonium salt to the medium enabled the growth of the test organism in the presence of 13 amino acids. Resting organisms of M. laidlawii did not catabolize any of the 22 different amino acids tested under conditions which allowed amino acid degradation by Mycoplasma hominis. Glucose was essential for growth and could be replaced by maltose but not galactose, fructose, mannose, lactose or sucrose. The requirement for nucleic acid precursors was satisfied by adenosine, guanosine and cytidine, and that for vitamins by nicotinic acid, riboflavin, folinic acid, pyridoxine, pyridoxal and thiamine. Cholesterol was not necessary for growth of the test organism.