| L-phase variants | Bacterial variant's which do not have rigid cell walls but which may contain varying amounts of cell wall material; they are spherical to coccobacillary in shape and vary in size from small bodies that pass through filters which retain bacteria to bodies that are larger than the bacterial form; they are Gram-negative and resistant to penicillin; some revert to the bacterial phase upon removal of the inducing substance, whereas others do not; the variant's differ greatly from the parent bacterial cells in mode of reproduction, physiology, growth requirements, and individual and colonial morphology; they are generally considered to be nonpathogenic, even if derived from a pathogenic bacterium. Origin: L. Fr. Lister Institute (05 Mar 2000) |
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