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PubMed1979

Amphilphilic nature of spiralin, the major protein of the Spiroplasma citri cell membrane.

Spiralin could not be solubilized in the absence of detergents, and it was shown by charge-shift crossed immunoelectrophoresis that this protein was capable of binding detergents under nondenaturing conditions. These properties indicate the amphiphilic nature of spiralin, which therefore should be regarded as an intrinsic membrane protein. The efficiency of mild (ionic and neutral) detergents to solubilize spiralin was as follows: deoxycholate greater than lauroyl sarcosinate, cholate, taurocholate, taurodeoxycholate greater than Triton X-100 greater than Brij 58 greater than Tween 20, indicating that mild ionic detergents were more effective than neutral ones. Solubilization of spiralin was quantitative with sodium deoxycholate. It was also shown that although a membrane protein is not extractable by a given detergent from the membrane, this does not necessarily mean that the protein is not soluble in this detergent.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Guanine-plus-cytosine content, hybridization percentages, and EcoRI restriction enzyme profiles of spiroplasmal DNA.

The guanine-plus-cytosine (G + C) content of spiroplasmal DNA was calculated from the melting temperature determined spectrophotometrically and the buoyant density determined by equilibrium density gradient centrifugation in CsCl. Only two ranges of G + C values were found: 25-27 mol% and 29-32 mol%. The DNA of the following spiroplasmas has 25-27 mol% G + C: Spiroplasma citri (serogroup I-1); the spiroplasmas pathogenic to the honeybee (KC3, BC3, and B63; serogroup I-2); the corn stunt strain (E275; serogroup I-3); the tick strain 277F (serogroup I-4); the drosophila strain (serogroup II); and one group of flower spiroplasmas (serogroup III). The DNA of a second group of flower spiroplasmas (serogroup IV) and the SMCA strain (serogroup V) has a G + C content of 29-31 mol/. The classification of flower spiroplasmas into two groups on the basis of G + C content agrees well with the groupings based on serologic and protein analysis. Spiroplasmas isolated from honeybees in Morocco (B13) or froghoppers in Corsica (L89) have 29-31 mol% G + C, a value that corroborates the relatedness of these strains and the flower spiroplasmas of serogroup IV found by serologic analysis. Reannealing experiments between the vivo-labeled DNA of S. citri and unlabeled DNA of other spiroplasmas gave the following percentages of hybridization: 64% with honeybee spiroplasma DNA, 49% with corn stunt spiroplasma DNA, and 19% with tick spiroplasma 277F DNA; no significant hybridization was observed with DNA of any other spiroplasma. The taxonomic position of the tick spiroplasma 277F within serogroup I was confirmed by hybridization experiments involving [3H]DNA of this strain. The value of polyacrylamide gel analysis of DNA fragments produced by the action of EcoRI restriction enzyme on DNAs from various spiroplasmas is also discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pathogenicity of mollicutes for insects: possible use in biological control.

Acholeplasmas, spiroplasmas and other non-helical sterol-requiring mycoplasmas of unknown phylogenetic affinity inhabit insects. Of these, only spiroplasmas are known to be pathogenic. Group I-2 spiroplasmas, or Spiroplasma apis, especially in combination with other organisms, reduce honey-bee longevity. Plant pathogenic mycoplasma-like organisms are often found intracellularly in insects. Spiroplasmas are found predominantly in the gut lumen or haemolymph (or both) of their insect hosts. Pathogenicity of mycoplasmas is usually altered by extended passage in unusual hosts, in only one of two alternate hosts, or in culture media. Enhancement of experimental pathogenicity may occur with extended cultural passages, but maintenance of natural pathogenicity must be accomplished by continuous exposure to the usual host. Recent data provide new information on the ecology of pathogenicity. Spiroplasmas from unique habitats also tend to be unique. Spiroplasmas isolated from flowers appear to be adapted to insect species that frequent floral surfaces. Group IV spiroplasmas have been isolated from members of 4 holometabolous insect orders (including Lepidoptera), all of which visit flowers. Social or predatory insects, or insects with an "aggregation" phase in their life histories, also appear to be prone to spiroplasma infection. Some insect species which harbor spiroplasmas also carry infections of other mollicutes, some of which involve the haemolymph. Appearance of spiroplasmas in adult insects in nature is strongly affected by seasonality. Extensive tests of the host ranges of the new insect mollicutes will be required before their suitability for biological control can be evaluated.

Acholeplasma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Substrate utilization in defined media.

Substrate utilization in defined media for two flower spiroplasmas (S. floricola and FS SR-3) and honeybee spiroplasma (HBS AS-576) was investigated. Glucose, fructose, and mannose were utilized by all three spiroplasmas. In addition, HBS (AS-576) could ferment trehalose; FS (SR-3), sucrose; and S. floricola, trehalose, sucrose, and raffinose. The three spiroplasmas varied greatly in growth requirements for amino acids. Only S. floricola utilized arginine. HBS (AS-576) required at least one purine and one pyrimidine base for growth, while both flower spiroplasmas grew with only one base in the medium. Oleic acid, cholesterol, and BSA were essential to all three spiroplasmas. Palmitic acid, which was non-essential, promoted growth significantly.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1981

Helical, motile mycoplasmas associated with flowers and honey bees in California.

Spiroplasmas were cultured from nonsurface-sterilized flowers of magnolia tree (Magnolia grandiflora L.) and tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipfera L.) in Alameda, Solano, and Yolo counties in California. Spiroplasmas were also isolated from honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) collected in the vicinity of Davis and Berkeley, CA. Most of the isolates grew relatively slowly at 31 or 37 degrees C reaching maximum population at 31 degrees C in 8-10 days. The flower isolates were serologically indistinguishable by deformation and growth inhibition tests of spiroplasma strain AS-576 from honey bee from Maryland. Isolates from honey bees were serologically closely related to spiroplasma strain SE-3 from tulip tree flower from Connecticut.

Bees↗
PubMed2006

Heritable endosymbionts of Drosophila.

Although heritable microorganisms are increasingly recognized as widespread in insects, no systematic screens for such symbionts have been conducted in Drosophila species (the primary insect genetic models for studies of evolution, development, and innate immunity). Previous efforts screened relatively few Drosophila lineages, mainly for Wolbachia. We conducted an extensive survey of potentially heritable endosymbionts from any bacterial lineage via PCR screens of mature ovaries in 181 recently collected fly strains representing 35 species from 11 species groups. Due to our fly sampling methods, however, we are likely to have missed fly strains infected with sex ratio-distorting endosymbionts. Only Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, both widespread in insects, were confirmed as symbionts. These findings indicate that in contrast to some other insect groups, other heritable symbionts are uncommon in Drosophila species, possibly reflecting a robust innate immune response that eliminates many bacteria. A more extensive survey targeted these two symbiont types through diagnostic PCR in 1225 strains representing 225 species from 32 species groups. Of these, 19 species were infected by Wolbachia while only 3 species had Spiroplasma. Several new strains of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma were discovered, including ones divergent from any reported to date. The phylogenetic distribution of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in Drosophila is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

The pathogenicity of mycoplasmas for plants.

Many plant diseases belonging to the yellows group are believed to be caused by wall-free prokaryotes resembling mycoplasmas, which are spread by leafhopper vectors. Im most cases the evidence for mycoplasma aetiology rests upon the finding by electron microscopy of mycoplasma-like bodies in phloem tissue of diseased plants, coupled in some cases with symptom remission following treatment of plants with tetracyclines. The only plant-pathogenic mycoplasmas which have so far been cultured are the spiroplasmas (motile, helical, filamentous mycoplasmas) which cause citrus stubborn, corn stunt and probably a small number of other plant diseases. Spiroplasma citri (the citrus stubborn agent) can infect members of many plant families, and disease symptoms suggest that the organisms produce toxins. Phytotoxic substances have been detected in, and partially purified from spiroplasma cultures. The corn stunt spiroplasma does not produce toxins and probably affects plants by interfering with hormone metabolism.

Gibberellins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The aster yellows controversy: current status.

Evidence for and against the spiroplasmal etiology of aster yellows (AY) disease is examined. A spiroplasma, serologically identical to Spiroplasma citri, was cultivated by some workers from lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants claimed to be naturally infected with AY. The isolated spiroplasma was shown to be infectious by injecting Macrosteles fascifrons with the cultured organisms and then confining the injected leafhoppers on healthy plants. The reports claiming that a spiroplasma is the etiological agent of AY, however, exist only in astract form, and several essential questions still need to be answered to substantiate the claim. Evidence against the claim is based on significant differences that have been observed between the behavior of S. citri and the AY agent in the leafhoppers as well as in the plant. Also, helical organisms could not be found in AY-infected plants by either scanning or immunosorbent electron microscopy, and S. citri is serologically unrelated to the mycoplasma-like organisms found in AY-infected plants. These results strongly support the conclusion that the classical AY disease is not caused by a variant of S. citri.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Mycoplasma infections of plants.

Plants can be infected by two types of wall-less procaryotes, spiroplasmas and mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO), both located intracellularly in the phloem tissues of affected plants. Spiroplasmas have been cultured, characterized and shown to be true members of the class Mollicutes. MLO have not yet been cultured or characterized; they are thought to be mycoplasma-like on the basis of their ultrastructure as seen in situ, their sensitivity to tetracycline and resistance to penicillin. Mycoplasmas can also be found on the surface of plants. These extracellularly located organisms are members of the following genera: Spiroplasma. Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma. The presence of such surface mycoplasmas must not be overlooked when attempts to culture MLO from affected plants are undertaken. Sensitive serological techniques such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) can successfully be used to compare the MLO located in the phloem of affected plants with those eventually cultured from the same plants. In California and Morocco periwinkles naturally infected with both Spiroplasma citri and MLO have been reported. With such doubly infected plants, the symptom expression has been that characteristic of the MLO disease (phyllody or stolbur), not that given by S. citri. Only S. citri can be cultured from such plants, but this does not indicate that S. citri is the causal agent of the disease expressed by the plant. In California many nonrutaceous plants have been found to be infected with S. citri. Stubborn affected citrus trees represent an important reservoir of S. citri, and Circulifer tenellus is an active leafhopper vector of S. citri. Hence, it is not surprising that in California MLO-infected fruit trees could also become infected with S. citri but it would not mean that S. citri is the causal agent of the disease. Criteria are discussed that are helpful in distinguishing between MLO infections and S. citri infections.

Acholeplasma↗