Effect of novobiocin on mycoplasma virus L2 replication

Mycoplasma viruses

Unlike bacterial viruses that infect cells bounded by a cell wall, mycoplasma viruses have evolved to enter and propagate in mycoplasma cells bounded only by a single lipid-protein cell membrane. In addition, mycoplasmas have the smallest amount of genetic information of any known cells, so their complexity is constrained by a limited genetic coding capacity. As a consequence of these host cell differences, mycoplasma viruses have been found to have a variety of structures and replication strategies which are different from those of the bacterial viruses. This article is a critical review of mycoplasma viruses infecting the genera Acholeplasma, Spiroplasma, and Mycoplasma; included are data on classification, morphology and structure, biological and physical properties, chemical composition, and productive and lysogenic replication cycles.

Mapping of mycoplasma virus DNA replication origins and termini

A pulse-labeling protocol has been used to study DNA replication and map replication origins and termini in mycoplasma viruses L2 and L2ins1. The L2 genome is circular, double-stranded DNA of 11.63 kilobase pairs (kb), and the 14.89-kb L2ins1 genome is L2 DNA containing a 3.26-kb insertion. The data show that DNA replication is bidirectional from two origins in L2 and three origins in L2ins1. The extra origin in L2ins1 arises from the fact that one of the L2 origins is in one of the sequences that have been shown to be duplicated and transposed in the generation of L2ins1 from L2.

Molecular biology and genetics of mycoplasmas (Mollicutes)

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