Mycoplasma felifaucium

(Hill, 1988)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. feles – a cat, L. pl. n. fauces – throats, N.L. gen. pl. n. felifaucium – of feline throats

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma felifaucium (Bovis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma adleri (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.78%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

PU^T (cougar – Puma concolor, UK, ≤1975), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed (Z921 – Austria), one draft genome (PU^T – UK) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

hydrolysis of arginine; non-fermentative, non-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

cougar/puma, other wild felids

Habitat

throat, upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

unknown, no disease reported

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma felifaucium PU^T within the Bovis cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853^T 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)

>Mycoplasma felifaucium PU^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGATGCTAGCAATAGCATAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCTCTCAGATTGGGATAGCGAACGGAAACGTTCGATAATACCAAATACTTATTAAGATCGCATGATCATAATATAAAAGAAGCGTTTGCTTCGCTGAGAGATCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTAAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGTCCTATGGATTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAATAGTGTAGGAAATGACATTATCTTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAACCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAACTGGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGTGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGACATATACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCACACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGAAGATTCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATGGAGACATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTACTACCATTTAGTTGATGGACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAACAGGCGACTGGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAAGAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma felifaucium PU^T(Accession number: NR_025963)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma felifaucium strain 5177 (isolated from the trachea of a cheetah) on modified Hayflick’s agar after 5 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Note, colour change of solid medium from ochre to reddish based on release of ammonia resulting from hydrolysis of arginine creating an alkaline pH. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Hill, A.C. 1986. Mycoplasma felifaucium, a new species isolated from the respiratory tract of pumas. J. Gen. Microbiol. 132: 1923-1928.