Mycoplasma agassizii

(Brown et al., 2001)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. masc. gen. n. agassizii – of Agassiz (referring to L. Agassiz)

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma agassizii (not part of a cluster), related to Mycoplasma testudineum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 92.02%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

PS6^T (desert tortoise – Gopherus agassizii, USA, 1991), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

3 draft genomes (2 x PS6^T – USA; 723 – USA) (NCBI Genome deposits per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

mulberry or fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; temperature optimum for growth is 30°C

Host

desert and gopher tortoise

Habitat

respiratory tract

Disease(s)

upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), often chronic or subclinical

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

primarily reported to occur in the USA, but also detected (PCR) in Morocco, Spain, France and Italy; transmission by direct contact such as combat or courtship

Diagnosis

cultivation (at 30°C) and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR; detection of antibodies using immunoassays

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma agassizii PS6^T between the Bovis and Hyopneumoniae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae 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 agassizii PS6^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAACTAGTTTACTAGTTTAGCGGCAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACCTAATCTACCTTAAAGATCGGAACAACAATGGGAAACCGTTGCTAATACCGGATATACCTTTGAAAAGCATTTTTTAAAGGCGAAAGGAGCAACTGCTTCACTTTGAGATGAGGGTGCGTTACATTAGTTAGTTGGCAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGTATAGCCGAGTTGAGAGACTGATCGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGGCGCAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATCGTAAACTGCTGTTATACAGAAAGAAAAGATATAGGAGTGGAAAGCCTATATTATGACGGTACTGTATCAGAAAGTGACGGCAAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCACAAGCGTTATCCGAAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCCGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGAGTAAAAGACCGGTGCTCAACGCCGGCACGCTTTAGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTATAAAGAGGTAAGTGGAATTTCATGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATATGAAAGAACACCAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGTTATATACTGACACTGAGGGGCGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTTGGTGGGGGAACCCTCGCTAACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGACGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCCCTTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAAGGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCCTTATTTACCTAACATTAAGTTGAGAACTATACGGATACTGCTCAGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGGTACAAAGAGACGCAATATGGTGACATGGAGCAAATCTGAAAAACCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGGCTGCAATTCGCCTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCCGGTAATGCCCAAAGTCGGTTTAGCTAACTTCGGAAGCGACTGCCTAAGGCAGGATTGGTGACTGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma agassizii PS6^T(Accession number: NR_025954)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma agassizii strain 1702 (isolated from the lung of a Kleinmann's tortoise) on SP4 agar after 7 days of incubation at 28°C exhibiting fried egg morphology. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Brown, M.B., Brown, D.R., Klein, P.A., McLaughlin, G.S., Schumacher, I.M., Jacobson, E.R., Adams, H.P., Tully, J.G. 2001. Mycoplasma agassizii sp. nov., isolated from the upper respiratory tract of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51: 413-418.