Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
(Carmichael et al., 1972)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. ovis – a sheep, Gr. n. pneumonia – pneumonia, N.L. gen. n. ovipneumoniae – of pneumonia of a sheep
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Hyopneumoniae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma dispar (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.60%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
Y98T (sheep, Australia, 1971), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
58 completed (3x Y98T – Australia; 274, 150 – both Bosnia & Herzegovina; NXNK2203, GH 3-3 – both China; MoG2059N20A, MoG225L22A, MoC2605L17A, MoS932N22A, MoS3261N22A – all Austria; MoS5669_1L18I – Iceland; 45 strains (unlabelled) – USA); 105 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
primarily uncentred colonies (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
sheep, goats, wild ungulates such as bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and muskox
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
atypical or non-progressive pneumonia in sheep (lambs), may predispose secondary infections resulting in bronchopneumonia, occasionally severe pneumonia in goats
Pathogenicity
factors of pathogenicity largely elusive, produces capsular polysaccharides (adhesion, interference with macrophage activity), it may also induce production of autoantibodies to ciliary antigens
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence; transmission mode probably by close contact and aerosol
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Y98T within the Hyopneumoniae 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)
CTATCTGTGTGCTTAATACATGCATGTTGAACGGAATATGTTAGCTTGCTAATATATTTAGTAGCAAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACCTAACCTACCTTTTGGACCGGGATAACCATTGGAAACAGCGGCTAATACCAGATACGATAAAAAAATGCATGTTTTTTTATTAAAAGAAGCCTTTAAAGCTTCACCAAAAAATGGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAAAGGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGCCAAGAGGCTGTACCGCCACACTGGGATTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAAGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGAGTGCAGGATGAAGTCTTTAGGGATGTAAACTGCTGTTGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAACTAGATAGGAAATGATTTAGTCTTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGTGACGGCAAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCCGCAGGTTTTTTGTTAAGTTTAAGGTTAAATGCTAAAGCTCAACTTTAGTTCGCTTTAGATACTGACAAAATAGAATTATGAAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTAGTGGAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATTAGGAAGAACACCAATAGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGTCATATATTGACACTAATGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTTGGTGGCAAAAGTCACTAGCACAGCTAACGCGTTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGAACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCCTCGCAAAACTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGCTAACGAGATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTAGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTTTCTTTAGTTGCTAACATTAAGTTGAGAACCCTAGAGATACTGCCGGTGCAAACCGGAGGAAGGCGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCTACTACAAAGAGCAGCGAAACAGTGATGTCAAGCTAATCTCAAAAAAGTAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGGTCAGCTATACTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGTTGGTAATGCCCAAAGTCGGTGAGTTAACCTCGGAGACCATTACCTAAGGCAGGACCGATGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniaeY98T (Accession number: NR_025989)
Fig. 3. Primarily uncentred colonies of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Y98T on modified Friis’ agar after 5 days of incubation. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)