Western blots on contaminated cell cultures? - Mycoplasma (Sep/15/2005 )

Hi all,
Hmm..i am working on MEC1 and MEC2 cell lines, did a DNA laddering assay after treating the cells with few drugs. I used qiagen/Roche spin columns for DNA genomic extraction, when run on 1% gel i find unspecific bands in all the lanes(not part of DNA laddering) including the untreated controls.
I have no clue about the origins of these Bands.
my questions are
1. is these unspecific bands arise due to mycoplasma contaminations?(me trying to do a mycoplasma detection assay)
2. if contaminated, can the culures be used for western blotting analysis?? (as i have a narrow time-line for the project )

please explain...
thank you
Rajgene

hi
a PCR based test for mycoplasma can be quick set up...
but i don't think mycoplasma can do tis.

Best way to test is to thaw new aliquot of cells and redo your tests...