Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides
(Borrel et al., 1910; Freundt, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; G. n. mukes – fungus, L. suff. -oides – similar, N.L. neut. adj. mycoides – fungus-like
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides (Mycoides cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. capri (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.59%) (Fig. 1); Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides is the type species of genus Mycoplasma; Note, former Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides Large Colony (LC) has been reclassified as serotype of Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. capri
Type strain
PG1T (cattle, Africa, ≤1931), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
9 completed (PG1T – Africa; Gladysdale – Australia; izsam_mmm5713 – Italy; Ben1 and passages Ben50, Ben181, Ben326, Ben468 – China; T1/44 – Tanzania); 9 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; assimilation of glycerol (several strains); non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
cattle and allied species (buffalo, bison, yak), occasionally isolated from sheep and goats
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), pneumonia (marbled lung) with pleurisy, rarely arthritis in calves
Pathogenicity
known factors are capsular polysaccharides contributing to adhesion and enhancing resistance to phagocytosis, Ig protease (MIB-MIP system), variable surface lipoproteins (vmm) involved in adhesion and immune evasion, production of hydrogen peroxide as a by-product of glycerol assimilation, biofilm formation
Epidemiology
endemic in western, central and eastern Africa, sporadic outbreaks in the Middle East; principal transmission mode is by aerosol, possibly wind-borne and indirect transmission
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR; detection of antibodies using immunoassays such as ELISA and Western blotting
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides PG1T within the Mycoides 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGGAGGTGCTTGCACCTCAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCTAACCTACCTCATAGCGGGGGATAACTTTTGGAAACGAAAGATAATACCGCATGTAGATCTTATTATCGCATGAGAAAAGATCAAAAGAACCGTTTGGTTCACTATGAGATGGGGATGCGGCGTATTAGCTAGTAGGTGAGATAATAGCCCACCTAGGCGATGATACGTAGCCGAACTGAGAGGTTGATCGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAGTGATGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAATCTCTGTTGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAATAAAGTAGGAAATGACTTTATCTTGACAGTACCTTACCAGAAAGCCACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTGGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTATTGGGCGTATAGGGTGCGTAGGCGGTTTTGCAAGTTTGAGGTTAAAGTCCGGAGCTCAACTCCGGTTCGCCTTGAAAACTGTATTACTAGAATGCAAGAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCTGTGGCGAAAGCGGCTTACTGGCTTGTTATTGACGCTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGTACTAAGTGTTGGGGAAACTCAGCGCTGCAGCTAACGCATTAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTCGAAGCAACACGAAGAACCTTACCAGGGCTTGACATCCAGTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTAGAGGTTAACATTGAGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGTTCGTGCCGTAAGGTGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAACGCAACCCTTGTCGCTAGTTACTAACATTAAGTTGAGAACTCTAACGAGACTGCTAGTGTAAGCTAGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGTCCTGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGCTGGTACAAAGAGTTGCAATCCTGTGAAGGGGAGCTAATCTCAAAAAAACCAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGCCGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGCTATGTCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGAGAGTTGGTAATACCAGAAGTAGGTAGCTTAACCATTTGGAGAGCGCTTCCCAAGGTAGGACTAGCGATTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides PG1T (Accession number: NR_074703)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides PG1T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)