, ▁ph yl um ▁F irm ic utes ▁and ▁domain ▁B acter ia . ▁Many ▁organ isms ▁of ▁the ▁genus ▁My cop las ma ▁are ▁known ▁path og ens ▁in ▁humans ▁and ▁animal ▁species . ▁ ▁My cop las ma ▁all ig ator is ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁el ic it ▁a ▁fatal ▁disease ▁with ▁infl am mat ory ▁characteristics ▁that ▁can ▁cause ▁rapid ▁death ▁of ▁all ig ators ▁and ▁ca im ans . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁ ▁My cop las ma ▁all ig ator is ▁was ▁first ▁isolated ▁in ▁a ▁study ▁led ▁by ▁D . ▁R . ▁Brown ▁of ▁six ▁capt ive ▁all ig ators ▁showing ▁signs ▁of ▁p neum onia , ▁poly ser os itis ▁( infl amm ation ▁of ▁ser ous ▁memb ran es ), ▁and ▁mult if ocal ▁ar th rit is . ▁ ▁The ▁isol ates ▁were ▁obtained ▁from ▁various ▁org ans , ▁blood , ▁syn ov ial ▁fluid , ▁and ▁c ere bro sp inal ▁fluid ▁and ▁subject ▁to ▁various ▁experimental ▁tests ▁for ▁identification ▁purposes . ▁Primary ▁isol ates ▁were ▁cult ured ▁in ▁AT CC ▁medium ▁ 9 8 ▁ag ar ▁containing ▁ 1 0 5 ▁U ▁pen ic ill in ▁G ▁ 1 − 1 , ▁ 1 0 ▁ 5 ▁U ▁polym y in ▁B ▁ 1 ▁− 1 , ▁ 6 5   m g ▁c ef oper az one ▁ 1 ▁− 1 ▁and ▁ 2 0 % ▁( v / v ) ▁f etal ▁b ov ine ▁ser um ▁in ▁ 5 %