The Mycoplasmas / edited by M. F. Barile and S. Razin

La biblioteca solo tiene el vol. 5

Incluye referencias bibliográficas e índices

Contenido: v.1. Cell biology.--v.2. Human and animal mycoplasmas.--v.3. Plant and insect mycoplasmas.--v.4. Mycoplasma pathogenicity.--v.5. Spiroplasmas, acholeplasmas, and mycoplasmas of plants and arthropods.

PREFACE. The volumes of "The Mycoplasmas" published in 1979 (Volume I, Cell Biology; Volume II, Human and Animal Mycoplasmas; Volume III, Plant and Insect Mycoplasmas) have become standard reference works in mycoplasmol-ogy. [Since publication of these volumes, the trivial ñame "mycoplasma," used for many years to describe all members of the prokaryote class Mollicutes (divi¬sión Tenericutes), has been replaced by the more appropriate term "mol-licute(s)."] The fourth volume of this treatise, which focuses on mollicute patho-genicity, appeared in 1985. This volume (V) synthesizes existing knowledge and recent development in research on spiroplasmas, acholeplasmas, and other mol¬licutes of plants and arthropods. Many advances in our understanding of the occurrence, biology, habitats, and taxonomy of helical, wall-less mollicutes have taken place in the fifteen years since the genus Spiroplasma was proposed. It may in fact be fair to say that there has been an explosión of knowledge since 1979, when the status of spiroplasmas was last reviewed in this treatise. The addition of a large body of published information on molecular and cellular characteristics of these fascinating orga-nisms has dramatically improved our understanding of their basic cell biology. Also, advances in our understanding of the ecology and evolution of spiroplasmas are providing new insights into their role in natural ecosystems. This information has forged a new generic concept of spiroplasmas that is based on molecular, physiological, morphological, and ecological characteristics. The current status of recognized or putative species in the genus is treated ex-haustively in this volume. Recent advances in nutrition and cultivation of spiroplasmas are also discussed. Particularly exciting developments in the mo¬lecular and cellular biology of spiroplasmas are also detailed in one of the contributions. In fact, considering the scope and breadth represented in this chapter, we feel that future treatments of spiroplasma cell biology may require entire books rather than a single chapter…