Mycoplasma canis
(Edward, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. canis – a dog, L. gen. n. canis – of a dog
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma canis (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma edwardii (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 98.96%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG14T (dog, UK, 1951), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
3 completed (2 x PG14T – UK; LV – USA); 5 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
domestic dogs, occasionally isolated from calves
Habitat
genital tract, oropharynx, upper respiratory tract
Disease(s)
implicated in causing reproductive (fetal resorption, stillborn or weak pups, neonatal death) and genital (endometritis, urethritis, prostatitis, epididymitis) diseases, and infertility in subpopulations of colonized dogs; occasionally associated with meningoencephalitis and as secondary cause of upper respiratory disease; occasionally implicated in secondarily causing calf pneumonia
Pathogenicity
factors largely unknown, proposed factors include a secreted sialidase (expression varies among strains) with roles in colonization and tissue invasion, and intracellular localization which may contribute to chronicity of infection and perturbation of cell function and integrity
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in dogs; transmission by oronasal and orogenital contact, aerosolized respiratory secretions, mating, artificial insemination, and contaminated fomites
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma canis PG14T within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae JT was used as out-group (Hyopneumoniae 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACATGCCTTTTAGATTGGGACAACGATGAGAAATTATCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATATGGTTCGCATGAACTATATATAAAAGAAGCCTTTAAAGCTTCACTAAAAGATTGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAGCAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTGCCTTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTATGTTAAGTCTGGCGTGAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATTGCGTTGGATACTGGCATGCTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTAGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATTAGGAAGAACATCAACATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATAGTAGAACTATCGGCACAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGCTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTAATTTTCTAGGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGATGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAAACGGCGACGTCAAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCATTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTTAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGGCCGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma canis PGT (Accession number: CP014281)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma canis PG14T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)