Mycoplasma crocodyli

(Kirchhoff et al., 1997)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. Crocodylus – genus name of crocodiles, N.L. gen. n. crocodyli – of Crocodylus

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma crocodyli (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma alligatoris (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.98%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

MP145^T (Nile crocodile – Crocodylus niloticus, Zimbabwe, ≤1995), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed (MP145^T – Zimbabwe) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; temperature optimum for growth is 30°C (no growth above)

Host

Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Habitat

respiratory tract

Disease(s)

associated with polyarthritis

Pathogenicity

candidate virulence factors include hyaluronidase, glucuronidase, one α- and two β-hexosaminidases, a broad-specificity polysaccharide lyase (chondroitinase), and α-amylase

Epidemiology

unknown, once isolated from several crocodiles in 5 farms in Zimbabwe

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; detection of antibodies using immunoassays

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma crocodyli MP145^T within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopeumoniae 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 crocodyli MP145^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGCCTTTCGGGGCTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCCTAACGTGCCTCTTAGATTGGAATAACGATTAGAAATGATCGCTAATGCCGGATACTTATTAGTTTCACATGAAACTAATATAAAAGGAGCGTTTGCTCCACTAAGAGATCGGGGTGCGTAACATTAGTTTGTTGGTGGGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGACGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGAAGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAGTAGTGCAGGAAATGGCATTACCTTGACGGTACCTTATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGACGTTAAAACTTGGAGCTCAACTCCAAATTGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAGCTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAATTGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGCATATACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCCTCTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAAAGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTAAATATTCTAGGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGAGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGGAAGTACAAAGAGACGCAATACGGCGACGTTAAGCAAATCTCATAAAACTTCTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma crocodyli MP145^T(Accession number: NR_118811)

Species assigned by: Kirchhoff, H., Mohan, K., Schmidt, R., Runge, M., Brown, D.R., Brown, M.B., Foggin, C.M., Muvavarirwa, P., Lehmann, H., Flossdorf. J. 1997. Mycoplasma crocodyli sp. nov., a new species from crocodiles. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 47: 742-746.