Mycoplasma phocoeninasale
(Volokhov et al., 2022)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. fem. n. Phocoena – generic name of the harbour porpoise; L. masc. n. nasus – the nose; N.L. neut. adj. phocoeninasale – pertaining to the porpoise nose
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma phocoeninasale (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma phocidae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.74%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
C264-NAST (harbour porpoise - Phocoena phocoena, USA, 2008), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (C264-NAST – USA); one draft genome (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
hydrolysis of arginine; non-fermentative, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
Habitat
nasopharynx
Disease(s)
no diseases reported
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated from the nasopharynx of a harbour porpoise and a California sea lion at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, USA
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, PCR; rpoB gene sequencing
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma phocoeninasale C264-NAST within the Hominis cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T was used as out-group (Synoviae cluster). Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap confidence values (1000 replications). Only values > 80% are shown. Bar, number of substitutions per nucleotide position. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
GGATTAACGCTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAGGTTCTTTTAGGACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAATCTGCCCTTTAGATTGGAATACCCAATGGAAACATTGGCTAATGCCGGATACGCATAGAATCGCATGATTCTGTTGTGAAAGGAGCTCCAAAGCTCCACTAAAGGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCCCACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAACACTCAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTGAGCTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTGTTAAGTCTAGAGTCAAATCCCAGGGCTCAACCCTGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAATCRCTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACACGGAAAACCTTACCCACTTTTGACATCCTTCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGCTAACGGAGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACAAGTAATGTTGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACAAGTGGGGCCACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTGCTAACCTCGGAGGCAACTGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGTATCCCTACGAGAACGTGGGGATGGATCACCTCCTTT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma phocoeninasale C264-NAST (Accession number: GU905028)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma phocoeninasale C264-NAST on modified Hayflick’s agar after 6 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
Species assigned by: Volokhov, D.V., Furtak, V.A., Blom, J., Zagorodnyaya, T.A., Gao, Y., Gulland, F.M. 2022. Mycoplasma miroungirhinis sp. nov. and Mycoplasma miroungigenitalium sp. nov., isolated from northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), Mycoplasma phocoenae sp. nov., isolated from harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and Mycoplasma phocoeninasale sp. nov., isolated from harbour porpoise and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 72: 005224.