Immunofluorescence identification of Mycoplasma on agar by use of incident illumination.

The fluorescent-antibody method has been employed for the rapid identification of Mycoplasma colonies growing on agar plates. The method was found to be effective for detection of mixtures of Mycoplasma serotypes growing on primary isolation plates. The technique also helped to define the presence of mycoplasmas which did not produce typical colonies. It was also possible to identify Mycoplasma colonies overgrown by bacterial or fungal contaminants. Conjugates directed against 10 distinct Mycoplasma serotypes have been successfully employed in this system. One of the serotypes is a human oral isolate which has not been previously characterized.