Mycoplasma cricetuli

(Hill, 1983)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. Cricetulus – genus name of Chinese Hamster (Cricetulus griseus), N.L. gen. n. cricetuli – of Cricetulus

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma cricetuli (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma oxoniensis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 98.89%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

CH^T (Chinese hamster – Cricetulus griseus, UK, 1972), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one draft genome (CH^T – UK) (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

Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus)

Habitat

eye, nasopharynx

Disease(s)

unknown, no disease reported

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown, once isolated from a Chinese hamster colony

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma cricetuli CH^T within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae J^T 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)

>Mycoplasma cricetuli CH^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTTTAGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCCTTTAGATTGGAATAACACTGAGAAATTAGTGCTAATGCCGAATACTTATTTTTTACACATGTAATTAATATAAAAGGAGCGTTTGCTTCACTAGAGGATCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAGGGTAAAGGCCTACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGAAGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTACAAGGGAAGAAAAAATAGCATAGGAAATGATGTTATATTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGTGTTAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATTGCATTGGATACTGACAAACTAGAGTTATTTAGAGGTTAATGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAATTAACTGGGAATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATGATTAGTTGATGGACACCATTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTAGATGATCTAAGGAGACTGCCTAGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGACAGTACAAAGAGACGCAATACGGTGACGTTGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACTGTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTTAACTACGGAAACAGCCGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma cricetuli CH^T(Accession number: NR_115937)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma cricetuli CH^T on modified Hayflick’s agar exhibiting rather centreless morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)