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Mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures: Incidence, sources, effects, detection, elimination, prevention
Open accessAbstract
The contamination of cell cultures by mycoplasmas remains a major problem in cell culture. Mycoplasmas can produce a virtually unlimited variety of effects in the cultures they infect. These organisms are resistant to most antibiotics commonly employed in cell cultures. Here we provide a concise overview of the current knowledge on: (1) the incidence and sources of mycoplasma contamination in cell cultures, the mycoplasma species most commonly detected in cell cultures, and the effects of mycoplasmas on the function and activities of infected cell cultures; (2) the various techniques available for the detection of mycoplasmas with particular emphasis on the most reliable detection methods; (3) the various methods available for the elimination of mycoplasmas highlighting antibiotic treatment; and (4) the recommended procedures and working protocols for the detection, elimination and prevention of mycoplasma contamination. The availability of accurate, sensitive and reliable detection methods and the application of robust and successful elimination methods provide powerful means for overcoming the problem of mycoplasma contamination in cell cultures.
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“According to data obtained by various scientific groups, contamination of cultured cell lines with mycoplasmas varies from 10-15% to 45-90% [5,6,17,18].”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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“Mycoplasmas can remain latent for a long time, causing serious pathological changes in the structure and function of cells [6].”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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“Due to their microscopic size and ability to exist in a latent state, mycoplasmas can remain undetected for a long time, causing chronic contamination of cell populations [6,13].”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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“This can lead to serious distortions of research results and cause significant damage to the production of biotechnological drugs.”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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“Specific biological characteristics of mycoplasmas, their wide prevalence in combination with a high reproduction rate and ability to effectively use components of the nutrient medium, allow them to easily penetrate cells, quickly and imperceptibly spread in laboratory conditions, avoiding detection by standard control methods used for other bacteria [6].”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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“The most common examples of such infections are environmental bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasma, the latter arising most frequently from new cell lines introduced to the laboratory (Drexler and Uphoff, 2002).”
From Guidance document on Good cell and tissue culture practice 2.0 (GCCP 2.0) (2021) · cites this paper as Drexler and Uphoff, 2002
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“Mycoplasmas are capable of changing cell metabolism, affecting their morphology and functional properties.”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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“Effective prevention is a multi-level structure of measures, where each element plays a significant role in the overall safety system [6,69].”
From Mycoplasma Contamination of Primary Cell Cultures (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
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Citations
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1 of the 25 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 5
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Mirabelli, P., Coppola, L., & Salvatore, M. (2019) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers11081098 · Cited by 346
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Metadata
- Authors
- Drexler, H. G., & Uphoff, C. C.
- Affiliations
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Drexler, Hans G.
- Venue
- Cytotechnology
- Published
- 2002-07
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 75-90
- ISSN
- 0920-9069 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-0778
- PMC
- PMC3463982
- OpenAlex
- W1687604884
- Cited by
- 340
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 1.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cytotechnology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Microbial infections and disease research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food
- Keywords
- mycoplasma contamination, cell culture contamination, mycoplasma detection, mycoplasma elimination, antibiotic resistance, contamination prevention
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