Estimation of the growth of the T 1 strain of Mycoplasma mycoides in tryptose broth by the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase. II. Application to vaccine production.

The measurement of lactate dehydrogenase activity has been used to evaluate the growth of the T(1) vaccine strain of Mycoplasma mycoides var. mycoides in broth during the production of vaccine. Estimations were made during incubation at 37 C and storage at 4 C. The results were compared with titers of the vaccine obtained by two conventional methods of assessing viability titers: the counting of colonies formed on solid medium and a 50% end point titer found after dilutions were made in broth. The method of measuring lactate dehydrogenase activity allowed the rapid enumeration of organisms during incubation of the culture, but estimations made on vaccine stored at 4 C did not compare well with the two conventional methods of assessing viability. The lactate dehydrogenase activity of the culture has enabled rapid monitoring of the production stages of this vaccine.