Disease relevance of Spiroplasma

• Herbicolin A, a novel acyl peptide antibiotic, inhibits the growth of the sterol-requiring Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and Spiroplasma species, with MICs varying from 1.5 to 100 micrograms/ml [1].
• The positional distribution of the fatty acids in phosphatidylglycerol of Spiroplasma floricola resembled that found in Mycoplasma species, in which the saturated fatty acids prefer position 2 in the glycerol backbone and not position 1 as found in Acholeplasma species and elsewhere in nature [2].
• This indicates that the toxicity of globomycin for spiroplasma cells is mainly if not exclusively owing to the inhibition of spiralin processing [3].
• Effect of trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole and hyperbaric oxygen on experimental Spiroplasma mirum encephalitis [4].
• Cell division gene cluster in Spiroplasma kunkelii: functional characterization of ftsZ and the first report of ftsA in mollicutes [5].

High impact information on Spiroplasma

• In vitro induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha, tumor cytolysis, and blast transformation by Spiroplasma membranes [6].
• DNA elements have been specifically in vitro methylated by the HpaII (5'-CCGG-3'), the FnuDII (5'-CGCG-3'), or the CpG DNA methyltransferase from Spiroplasma species (M-SssI; 5'-CG-3') [7].
• Translation of the entire message required the use of an opal suppressor, suggesting that UGA triplets code for tryptophan in Spiroplasma [8].
• The phosphofructokinase from Spiroplasma citri, which has an Asp187, has been purified and its properties follow this pattern [9].
• In order to study the mechanism of insusceptibility of Spiroplasma citri to rifampin, we have cloned and sequenced its rpoB gene, which encodes the beta subunit of RNA polymerase [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of Spiroplasma

• Fructose utilization and phytopathogenicity of Spiroplasma citri [11].
• We describe the morphology, growth, and glucose metabolism of Spiroplasma citri in the presence of polyclonal, monoclonal, and recombinant antibodies directed against the immunodominant membrane protein spiralin [12].
• The cytosine DNA methylase from the wall-less prokaryote, Spiroplasma strain MQ1 (M.SssI) methylates completely and exclusively CpG-containing sequences, thus showing sequence specificity which is similar to that of mammalian DNA methylases [13].
• From the total tRNAs of Spiroplasma citri, we isolated and purified two tRNA(Trp) species by using chromatography on an RPC-5 column followed by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [14].
• In addition, the honeybee spiroplasma could ferment trehalose, FS (SR-3) could ferment sucrose, and S. floricola could ferment trehalose, sucrose, and raffinose [15].

Biological context of Spiroplasma

• Integrative and free Spiroplasma citri oriC plasmids: expression of the Spiroplasma phoeniceum spiralin in Spiroplasma citri [16].
• Mutagenesis of a tryptophan codon from TGG to TGA in the cat gene does not prevent its expression in the helical mollicute Spiroplasma citri [17].
• Four traE homologs, designated traE1, traE2, traE3 and traE4, were identified and amplified from the genome of the leafhopper-transmitted corn stunt pathogen Spiroplasma kunkelii and were predicted to encode membrane-bound adenine tri-phosphatases (ATPases) [18].
• Organization and nucleotide sequences of the Spiroplasma citri genes for ribosomal protein S2, elongation factor Ts, spiralin, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and an unidentified protein [19].
• Characterization of FruR as a putative activator of the fructose operon of Spiroplasma citri [20].

Anatomical context of Spiroplasma

• Interactions between the ionic detergent Sarkosyl (sodium lauroyl sarcosinate), Mg2+ ions, and the Spiroplasma citri cell membrane were analyzed microscopically and electrophoretically [21].

Gene context of Spiroplasma

• Identification and characterization of traE genes of Spiroplasma kunkelii [18].
• Membranes of Spiroplasma sp. strain MQ-1 (hereafter referred to as MQ-1) were potent inducers of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) secretion and of blast transformation [6].
• First step toward a virus-derived vector for gene cloning and expression in spiroplasmas, organisms which read UGA as a tryptophan codon: synthesis of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in Spiroplasma citri [22].
• Spiroplasma poulsonii sp. nov., a new species associated with male-lethality in Drosophila willistoni, a neotropical species of fruit fly [23].
• Characterization of Spiroplasma citri adhesion related protein SARP1, which contains a domain of a novel family designated sarpin [24].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Spiroplasma

• Using PCR primers developed for the spiralin gene of Spiroplasma spp., a digoxigenin-labeled probe was developed and tested [25].
• The Drosophila spiroplasma viruses have been extracted from infected flies and purified by metrizamide gradient centrifugation [26].
• We have previously shown that Spiroplasma citri oxidoreduction sites, as revealed by the reduction of potassium tellurite into electron-dense tellurium crystals detectable by electron microscopy, were located at the blunt end of the organisms [27].

References