Mycoplasma flocculare
(Meyling & Friis, 1972)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. dim. n. flocculus – a small flock of wool, L. neut. suff. -are – pertaining, N.L. neut. adj. flocculare – resembling a small flock of wool (referring to the tendency of the organism to produce flocculent material in broth culture)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma flocculare (Hyopneumoniae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma dispar and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 96.94 and 96.46%, respectively) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
Ms42T (swine, Denmark, ≤1972), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (MS 42T – Denmark); 7 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
polymorph – filamentous
Colony morphology
small and uncentered (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; temperature optimum for growth is 33°C
Host
swine
Habitat
nasopharynx, upper respiratory tract
Disease(s)
commonly considered to be a commensal, occasionally suggested to plays a role in the Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae-induced respiratory disease (MIRD) and Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC)
Pathogenicity
factors largely unknown; lacks virulence determinants present in closely related Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae such as orthologs encoding the primary cilium adhesin P97 and downstream ORF P102 as well as glycerol 3-phosphate oxidase responsible for glycerol-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence, frequent inhabitant of the porcine nasopharynx
Diagnosis
PCR; cultivation (at 33°C) and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma flocculare MS42T within the Hyopneumoniae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T 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)
CTAGCTGTGTGCTTAATACATGCATTTGAACGGGATAGTATTTTAGTTTTACTAAAGTATTGTTTTAGTAGCAAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACCTAACCTACCTTTTGGACTGGGATAACCATTGGAAACAGTGGCTAATACCGGATATAATAAAAATTCACATGAATTTTTATGAAAAGGAGCGAAAATAAGCTCCACCAAAAAATGGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAAAGGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGCCAAGAGGTTGTACCGCCACACTGGGATTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAAGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGTCTTTAGGTATGTAAACTGCTGTTGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAAATTAGGTAGGGAATGATCTAATCTTGACGGTACCTTACTAGAAAGCGACGGCAAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGTTTTTTGTTAAGTTTAAGGTTAAATGCTAAAGCTCAACTTTAGTCCGCTTTAGATACTGGCAAAATAGAATTATGAAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTAGTGGAGTGGTGGAATACGTAGATATTAGGAAGAACACCAATAGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGTCATATATTGACACTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTTGGTGGCAGAAGTCACTAGCGCAGCTAACGCGTTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGAACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAGGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATTCTCGCAAAACTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGCTAACGAGATTACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTAGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTTTCTTTAGTTGCTAACATTAAGTTGAGAACCCTAGAGATACTGCCGGTGTAAACCGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCTACTACAAAGAGCAGCAAAACAGTGATGTCAAGCTAATCTCAAAAAAGTAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGGTCAGCTATACTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGTTGGTAATGCCCAAAGTCGGTGAGTTAACCTCGGAGACCATTGCCTAAGGCAGGACCGATGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma flocculare Ms42T (Accession number: NR_036954)
Fig. 3. Mycoplasma flocculare MS42T on modified Friis’ agar after 7 days of incubation producing small uncentered colonies. pH. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)