Mycoplasma haemofelis

(Kreier & Ristic, 1984; Neimark et al., 2002)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; Gr. n. haima – blood, L. n. feles – a cat, N.L. gen. n. haemofelis – of cat blood

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma haemofelis (Hemoplasma cluster, Haemobartonella subcluster), closely related to Mycoplasma haemocanis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.50%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

not available, not cultivated in/on cell free media (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence of isolate Ohio2)

Genomes

2 completed (Langford 1 – UK; Ohio2 – USA) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

not cultivated on a cell-free medium

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; assimilation of glycerol; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

domestic cats, wild felids

Habitat

blood

Disease(s)

severe hemolytic anemia in acute infections (clinically most important hemotrophic mycoplasma species in domestic cats), but often latent infections

Pathogenicity

largely unknown, a proposed factor is the endopeptidase o-sialoglycoprotein possibly involved in erythrocyte lysis

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence; cat-to-cat transmission by biting and scratching, and via blood-feeding arthropod vectors, transmission from queen to kitten has also been described

Diagnosis

PCR

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma haemofelis isolate Ohio2 within the Hemoplasma 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 haemofelis isolate Ohio2

CTGATGGTATGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGGATCTTGGTTTCGGCCAAGATTAGTGGCAAACGGGTGAGTAATACATATCTAACATGCCCCTCTGTGGGGGATAGCCGCTTGAAAAAGCGATTAATACCCCATAGGAAGCTTTATCTATGATTTAGCTTTTAAAGCCTTCGGGCGCTGAGGGATTGGGATATGCTCTATTAGCTAGTTGGCGGGATAAAAGCCCACCAAGGCAATGATAGATAGCTGGTCTTAGAGGATGAACAGCCACAATGGGATTGAGATACGGCCCATATTCCTACGGGAAGCAGCAGTAGGGAATCTTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCAATACCATGTGAACGATGAAGGCCTTTTTGGTTGTAAAGTTCTTTTACGAGGGATAATTATGATAGTACTTCGTGAATAAGTGACAGCAAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCTGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCGAGCATTATTCGGATTTATTGGGCGTAAAGCAAGCGCAGGCGGATGTGTAAGTTCTGTGTTAAATGCAGCTACTCAATAGTTGTATGCACCGAATACTACATGTCTAGATTGTGGTAGGGAGTTTCGGAATTAAGCATGGAGCGGTGGAATGTGTAGATATGCTTAAGAACACCAGAGGCGAAGGCGGAAACTTAGGCCATAAATGACGCTTAGGCTTGAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATGGGATTAGATACCCCAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATGGGTATTAGATATTAGGGCTTTAGCTTTAGTGTTGTAGCTTACGCGTTAAATACCCCGCCTGGGTAGTACATATGCAAATATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCTGAACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTCGATAATACACGAAAAACCTTACCAAGGTTTGACATCCCTCGCAAAGCTATAGAAATATAGTAGAGGTTATCGAGGTGACAGGTGGTGCATGGCTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCTTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCACTCTTTAGTTACTTGTCTAAAGAGACTGCACAGTAATGTAGAGGAAGGATGGGATCACGTCAAGTCATCATGCCCCTTATGCCTTGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGCGAACACAATGTGTTGCAAACCAGCGATGGTAAGCTAATCACCAAATTTCGTCTCAGTTCGGATAGGAGGCTGCAATTCGCCTCCTTGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCCCGTGTCAGCTATATCGGGGTGAATCCGTTCCCAGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACTATGAGAGGAGTGGGCATTTAAAAATACATTCATTTGTATCTAGAGTGAACATTCTGATTGGAGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma haemofelis isolate Ohio2(Accession number: CP002808)

Species assigned by: Neimark, H., Johansson, K.E., Rikihisa, Y., Tully, J.G. 2002. Revision of haemotrophic Mycoplasma species names. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 52: 683.