Phenotypic Variation of Mycoplasma iowae Surface Antigen

The diseases caused by mycoplasmas are generally chronic and persistent and apparently occur notwithstanding a host immune response. The ability to evade the host immune response is facilitated by phenotypic variation in the mycoplasma surface components. The avian mycoplasmas Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae have both been previously described to be able to switch their surface antigens, and recent evidence indicates that M. gallisepticum could switch surface antigens under natural conditions in vivo. In this work we present data to support that Mycoplasma iowae is also capable of phenotypic variation as detected by reactions with the monoclonal antibody MAb MI1 on colony immunoblots. This phenomenon is suggested to occur spontaneously or in response to normal serum and tissue components and may play an important role in the evasion of the host immune response.