Phytoplasma

Phytoplasma:-

> Mycoplasmas are the smallest among the known aerobic prokaryotes. 

> They were first discovered by Pasteur in 1843, during his work on the possible causal agent of pleuropneu­monia of cattle. Thus they were called pleuro- pneumonia-like organism (PPLO). Pasteur was unable to isolate them in pure culture.

> Later, Nocard and Roux (1898), the French microbio­logists, were successful in growing them in pure culture-medium containing serum and confirmed by inoculation and subsequent expression of disease in healthy cattle.

> Mycoplasmas are commonly found in soil, hot spring, sewage water and also in plants and animals including man. Borrel (1910) named these organisms Asterococcus mycoides. Later, in 1929, Nowak placed them under the genus Mycoplasma.