Relationship ofMycoplasma pneumoniaeto Other HumanMycoplasmaSpecies Studied by Gel Diffusion

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Abstract
Taylor-Robinson, David(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md.),Otakar Soběslavský, and Robert M. Chanock. Relationship ofMycoplasma pneumoniaeto other humanMycoplasmaspecies studied by gel diffusion. J. Bacteriol.90:1432–1437. 1965.—Conditions are presented for the production of four lines of precipitate betweenMycoplasma pneumoniaeantigen and homologous hyperimmune rabbit serum in double diffusion in agar. The specificity of the reaction was shown by the fact thatM. pneumoniaeantigen did not react with antisera to the other human mycoplasma species, nor didM. pneumoniaeantiserum produce lines with antigens prepared from the other human mycoplasmas. In addition, there was no reduction in the number or intensity of precipitation lines after absorption ofM. pneumoniaeantiserum with heterotypic mycoplasma antigens, or after absorption of heterotypic mycoplasma antisera withM. pneumoniaeantigen. These findings indicate that, of the human mycoplasma species so far studied,M. pneumoniaeis antigenically the most distinct.