Choline-containing lipids were identified and characterized in the cell membrane of Mycoplasma fermentans and were shown to participate in the adhesion to the surface of eukaryotic cells, to stimulate mycoplasma fusion with eukaryotic cells, and to induce cytokine secretion by cells of the immune system. These findings suggest that choline-containing lipids are important mediators of tissue pathology in the infectious process caused by M. fermentans.
Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. rottem@huji.ac.il
