Mycoplasma gypis

(Poveda et al., 1994)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; Gr. n. gups – a vulture, N.L. gen. n. gypis – of a vulture

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma gypis (close to the Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma zalophi (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 94.56%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

B1/T1^T (griffon vulture – Gyps fulvus, Spain, -1994), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed (B1/T1^T – Spain), one draft genome (again type strain) (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

vultures, eagles

Habitat

upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

unknown, considered to be a commensal or opportunist

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence in vultures and eagles; transmission by direct contact

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma gypis B1/T1^T close to the Hominis 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 gypis B1/T1^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAACGAAGTAGCTTGCTACTTAGTGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCTTCTAGATTGGGATAACAGTTGGAAACGATTGCTAATACCGGATAGGTGATTTCTCGCATGAGAAAAACATGAAAGAAGCGTTTGCTTCACTAGAAGATGAGAGTGCGCAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTTGAGAAACTGACCGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGACGGCCCTCGGGTTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATTAGGGAAGAACACTTGATAGAGGAAATGCTATCAAGCTGACGGTACCTGATCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGTTGTTTATTAAGTCTGAAGTTAAAGCCTGGGGCTCAACCCCAGCCCGCTTTAGATACTGGTAAACTAGAGTGAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACACTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAATTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACTCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCAGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATTTTCAATTACTAACAGGTAATGCTGAGGACTTTGGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACCAGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTATGAGTGGGGCGACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATACGGTGACGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGGTCAGCCATACTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGAGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGCCGGTTAGTTAACTTCGGAGACGACTGTCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma gypis B1/T1^T(Accession number: NR_024982)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma gypis B1/T1^T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 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: Poveda, J.B., Giebel, J., Flossdorf, J., Meier, J., Kirchhoff, H. 1994. Mycoplasma buteonis sp. nov., Mycoplasma falconis sp. nov., and Mycoplasma gypis sp. nov., three species from birds of prey. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44: 94-98.