Acholeplasma laidlawii

Acholeplasma laidlawii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria
Division:	Firmicutes
Class:	Mollicutes
Order:	Acholeplasmatales
Family:	Acholeplasmataceae
Genus:	Acholeplasma
Binomial name
Acholeplasma laidlawii

Acholeplasma laidlawii are small bacteria which lack a cell wall. Like other Acholeplasma and Mycoplasma, A. laidlawii has been identified as a common contaminant of growth media for cell culture.

A. laidlawii was first isolated from sewage in London in 1936 and was named after its discoverer, Patrick Laidlaw.

A. laidlawii has a relatively small genome comprising 1.5Mbp. Additionally its genome has a low GC-content of just 31%. The A. laidlawii genome has been sequenced.

Acholeplasma laidlawii may contaminate bovine serum and also occurs in serum-free cell culture media products. The presence of A. laidlawii in broth powders is a serious problem in routine biopharmaceutical operations where filtration is used as a sterilisation procedure. A. laidlawii may flourish and survive for prolonged periods at refrigeration and ambient temperatures in serum-free cell culture media.

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