Mycoplasma iners
(Edward & Kanarek, 1960)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. neut. adj. iners – inactive
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma iners (Bovis cluster), related to Mycoplasma columbinum and Mycoplasma columbinasale (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – both 96.27%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG30T (chicken, UK, ≤1960), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (PG30T – 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
chicken
Habitat
throat, upper respiratory tract
Disease(s)
unknown, commonly considered to be a commensal, once associated with in ovo pathogenicity
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in chicken
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma iners PG30T within the Bovis 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGTTGCTTCGGTAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCCTTTTGATTGGGATAGCAAGTGGAAACATTTGATAATACCAAATACGCATTATTTTCGCATGAAGATAATGTAAAAGGAGCTTTACGGCTTCGCAAAAGGAGCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGGTAATGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCCCATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAGTTCTATAGGAAATGATAGAACCTTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGACGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTTACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAATATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGACATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGAAAATTCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTACTACATTAAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma iners PG30T (Accession number: NR_025064)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma iners PG30T 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)