CIPROFLOXACIN TREATMENT ELIMINATES MYCOPLASMA IN CONTAMINATED CHANNEL CATFISH OVARY CELLS

Abstract A temperature-sensitive mycoplasma that was present in the channel catfish ovary (CCO) cell line and in a thymidine kinase-negative mutant of this cell line (CCOBr) was effectively eliminated from the cultures by adding ciprofloxacin, a 4-fluoroquinolone, to the culture medium. Both cell lines have remained mycoplasma free after 3 years of continuous culture. A commercially available genetic probe to mycoplasma ribosomal RNA was used to monitor mycoplasma contamination and evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.