Mycoplasma phocimorsus

(Skafte-Holm et al., 2023)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. fem. n. phoca – seal, L. morsus – a bite, biting, N.L. gen. neut. phocimorsus – of a seal bite

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma phocimorsus (part of the newly formed M. equigenitalium cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma equigenitalium (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 93.4 %) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

M5725^T(human, Denmark, 2000), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

6 draft genomes (M5725^T, M6620, M6642 – Denmark; M6447 – Finland; M6921 – Sweden; M6879 – Norway); (NCBI Genome deposit per 07/04/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose and hydrolysis of arginine; non-urea-hydrolysing

Host

seals

Habitat

probably oropharynx of seals

Disease(s)

so far unknown in its natural host, seal finger in humans after (bite) contact with seals

Pathogenicity

pathogenicity factors unknown

Epidemiology

isolated from 6 patients from Scandinavian countries presenting seal finger infection

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS or genetically

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma phocimorsus M5725^Twithin the M. equigenitalium cluster located between the M. bovis and M. hyopneumoniae clusters based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. 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)

>Mycoplasma phocimorsus M5725^T

GCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTTTAAAAGCTTGCTTTTAGAGCTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACATACCTTTTAGATTGGGATAACAACTGGAAACAGTTGCTAATACCGAATGTTTATTTTTTTCGCATGAAAAAAATATGAAAGGGGCGATTGCCCTACTAAAAGATTGGGGTGCGGAATATTAGTTAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGACGATGATATTTAGCCGGGTTGAGAGACTGACCGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGACGCCCTTCGGGGTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAACTAATTAGGAAATGAATTAGTCTTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGTGACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCACAAGCGTTATCCGAAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTATTAAGTCTGACGTTAAATCTTGGGGCTCAACYCCATTCCGCGTTAGATACTGGTAAGCTAGAGTTATATAGAGGTTAGTGGAATTCAATGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATATTGAAGAACACCAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGATATCAACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGKAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCYGTAAACGATGATCATTAACTGGCGGAGATATTCGCTGGTACAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACACTTGACATCTTCTGCAATGCTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCATTATTTACCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTATAATGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGTGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGACGATACAAAGAGAAGCAACCCGGTAACGGCAAGCAAACCTCAAAAAATCGTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGTCTGCAACTCGACCTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGATCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGAAATGCCCGAAGCCGGTTTGCTAACTTCGGAGGCAACTGTCTAAGGCAGGTCTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGTATCCCTACGAGACTTTGGGGAT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma phocimorsus M5725^T(Accession number: OQ945447)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma phocimorsus

Species assigned by: Skafte-Holm, A., Pedersen, T.R., Frølund, M., Stegger, M., Qvortrup, K., Michaels, D.L., Brown, D.R., Jensen, J.S. 2023. Mycoplasma phocimorsus sp. nov., isolated from Scandinavian patients with seal finger or septic arthritis after contact with seals. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 73: 006163.