Growth and cytopathology of Mycoplasma synoviae in chicken embryo cell cultures.

Mycoplasma synoviae was tested for its ability to grow and induce cytopathogenic changes in chicken embryo cell cultures. M. synoviae grew to high titers by day 5 in the presence of chick cells, but showed no growth in the tissue culture medium alone even though it was enriched with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and swine serum. Infected chick cell cultures showed a progressive cytoplasmic degeneration on successive days of examination. Early changes involved cytoplasmic granularity and mild vacuolation. On the last day of examination the cytoplasm of most cells was completely degenerated and some showed nuclear degeneration. M. synoviae was shown to be cytophilic for the chick cell membranes where the mycoplasmas reproduced and formed microcolonies which, on successive days, increased in size. The attachment site on the chick cell membrane was shown to be neuraminidase sensitive.