title: Sequence homologies between Mycoplasma and Chlamydia spp. lead to false-positive results in chlamydial cell cultures tested for mycoplasma contamination with a commercial PCR assay.
abstract: Mycoplasma contamination is a frequent problem in chlamydial cell culture. After obtaining contradictory contamination results, we compared three commercial PCR kits for mycoplasma detection. One kit signaled contamination in mycoplasma-free Chlamydia pneumoniae cultures. Sequencing of cloned PCR products revealed primer homology with the chlamydial genome as the basis of this false-positive result.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Hygiene and Infectious Diseases, PMU University Hospital Salzburg, Müllner Hauptstr. 48, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. v.maass@salk.at
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Jan Marco
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poeckl
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maass
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002689:Chlamydia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial