Ridding hybridoma cells of mycoplasma contamination

Abstract

Resistance to the most common antibiotics is what makes elimination of mycoplasma contamination so difficult, but not impossible. Different species of Mycoplasma have varied sensitivities to each of the major classes of antibiotics. One method presented here entails selection in antibiotic-containing medium combined with single-cell cloning over activated macrophage feeders. Its success rate is as high as 70%. As a method of last resort, growing hybridoma cells as ascites tumors is one of the most effective methods of removing mycoplasma contamination. The mycoplasmas are removed from the hybridoma cell surface by the immune system of the mouse. Mice must be of the same genetic background as the hybridomas. This technique is the same as the method for ridding cells of bacterial or fungal infection, and the success rate is perhaps 80%.