Objective      To determine the induction of rifampicin to L-forms of Mycobacterium abscessi.       Methods      Mycobacterium abscessi were cultured in liquid culture media for culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis rapidly with 256 μg/mL rifampicin to induce their L-forms or without rifampicin

respectively. The cultures of the above culture media were filtrated with 0.45 μm filte membrane. The filtrate was subcultured in the nutrient agar media for reversion. Their cultures of the culture media with 256 μg/mL rifampicin or without rifampicin

and the reversional bacteria were observed for integrity of their cell walls after cell wall staining by transmission electron microscopy

and the microstructures of their surfaces by scanning electronic microscopy. The cultures of the culture media with 256 μg/mL rifampicin were subcultured in L-form agar media

while those of the liquid culture media without rifampicin and the reversional bacteria were subcultured in the nutrient agar media in order to observe the colonial morphology. The reversional bacteria were identified for its semblances with the initial Mycobacterium abscessi by 16S rDNA.        Results      After cell wall staining

transmission electron microscopy displayed the cultures of liquid culture media for culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis rapidly with 256 μg/mL rifampicin showed deficient cell walls. Scanning electronic microscopy observed the cultures were in globular shapes

and those in L-form agar media displayed typical fried eggs like colonies. While those of liquid culture media for culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis rapidly without rifampicin showed complete cell walls

rod shapes and round colonial morphologies in nutrient agar media. The reversional bacteria were also in complete cell walls

rod shapes and round colonial morphologies in nutrient agar media. 16S rDNA of the bacteria indicated that the semblances of the reversional bacteria and the initial bacteria were 100%

and identified they were the same kind of Mycobacterium abscessi.       Conclusion       Rifampicin can successfully induce the L-forms of Mycobacterium abscessi.