Cytotoxic activity of melittin expressed by recombinant vectors in Acholeplasma laidlawii and Mycoplasma hominis cells

Recombinant plasmids containing the mellitin gene under the control of the lac and the tetM gene promoters were used for studying cytotoxic activity of mellitin in cells of mollicutes (mycoplasmas) and Escherichia coli. After transformation of Acholeplasma laidlawii and Mycoplasma hominis cells with recombinant plasmid DNAs by electroporation, cell growth was suppressed. The expression of the mellitin gene in A. laidlawii and M. hominis cells was demonstrated using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The possibility of using the mellitin gene in the recombinant vector as a potential antimycoplasmic gene-therapeutic agent with its selective expression in target cells is discussed.