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This compendium is the result of the FEMS Workshop on "Rapid
Diagnosis of Mycoplasmas" which I organized and which took place in
Jerusalem, Israel, August 11-23, 1991. The first week's sessions
were held at a resort on the outskirts of Jerusalem and consisted
of lectures and discussions. This part was modelled along the lines
of the Gordon Conference in the USA, i.e., in an intimate atmo
sphere in which everyone could mix and exchange ideas, and was very
benefi cial. About 100 scientists from around the world attended
the first week. Dur ing the first week, the biology, molecular
biology and pathophysiology of myco plasmas, as well as all the
main diagnostic methods were covered, including both conventional
and the newer technologies. The session on mycoplasmas in the human
urogenital tracts was held in conjunction with the Israel Society
for the Study and Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Disease. The
second week was a laboratory session and was held at the Hebrew
University-Hadassah Medical School campus in Ein Karem, Jerusalem.
All ex periments were conducted by eminent specialists in their
field. The lab session had 36 participants from 19 countries who
used the most modern techniques for the diagnosis of mycoplasmas in
medicine, veterinary medicine and agri culture. The efficacy of
several commercial kits were also tested at this time. I want to
again thank everyone who helped and supported this work shop, as
well as the authors of the various chapters.
The mycoplasmas, a trivial name used to denote organisms included
in the class Mollicutes, are a group of prokaryotic organisms
comprising more than 120 species distinguished from ordinary
bacteria by their small size and the total lack of cell walls. The
absence of a cell wall in mycoplasmas is a characteristic of
outstanding importance to which the mycoplasmas owe many of their
pecu liarities, for example, their morphological instability,
osmotic sensitivity, unique ion pumping systems, resistance to
antibiotics that interfere with cell wall bio synthesis, and
susceptibility to lysis by detergents and alcohols. The fact that
the mycoplasma cells contain only one membrane type, the plasma
membrane, constitutes one of their most useful properties for
membrane studies; once the membrane is isolated, it is
uncontaminated with other mem brane types. Another advantage in
using mycoplasmas as models for membrane studies stems from the
fact that their membrane lipid composition can be altered in a
controlled manner. This characteristic results from the partial or
total inabili ty of the mycoplasmas to synthesize long-chain fatty
acids and cholesterol, making mycoplasmas dependent on the supply
of fatty acids from the growth medium. The ability to introduce
controlled alterations in the fatty acid composi tion and
cholesterol content of mycoplasma membranes has been utilized in
studying the molecular organization and physical properties of
biological mem branes.
The emergence of pathogens resistant to conventional antimicrobial
agents has forced us to intensify the efforts in search for new
approaches to prevent infectious diseases. Such a direction was
indicated in studies over the last two decades showing that
adhesion of pathogens, primarily via glycoconjugate or protein
receptors of the host tissue, is crucial for the infectious
process. Moreover, it was found that infection can be prevented by
blocking adhesion of the pathogen to mucosal surfaces of the host.
The various aspects of interference with the process of microbial
adhesion as a way of preventing diseases were the subject of the
Bat-Sheva Seminar, "Towards Anti-Adhesion Therapy of Microbial
Infectious Diseases," held in Zichron Yaakov, Israel, February 25
to March I, 1996. A major aim of the Bat-Sheva de Rothschild
Foundation for the Advancement of Science in Israel, which sponsors
a series of seminars, ours among them, is to provide the necessary
tools and settings for international forums and exposure of young
scientists and promising students to the state of the art of the
field. This goal has been achieved during the week's discussions,
and its major aspects are presented in this compendium. The
seminar's participants, as well as the readers of this book, thank
the founder and Foundation for their support. This book includes
the major themes of this rapidly growing area. However, by no means
do we intend to cover every bit and piece in it. The book's first
section deals with the lectin-sugar interactions and their
inhibitors.
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