Comparison of seven isolates of Mycoplasma meleagridis.

A comparative study of seven isolates of Mycoplasma meleagridis indicated that they were indistinguishable morphologically. Two isolates, E2 and 8M92, induced hemagglutination of red blood cells of several different species while the others did not. Metabolic inhibition, growth inhibition and growth precipitation tests revealed minor differences among the seven isolates. According to these differences, isolates were divided into three groups: antiserum-sensitive isolate 1466, less sensitive isolates N, 8M92, RY3, 529 and E2 and insensitive isolate 1940. One dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cell proteins revealed that all isolates of M. meleagridis had virtually identical patterns and that they were electrophoretically distinct from Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae. When nonhemagglutinating isolate N, and hemagglutinating isolate E2 were examined by simple immunoelectrophoresis, no differences were detected. However, minor antigenic differences were detected between the two strains by means of two dimensional immunoelectrophoresis.