Mycoplasma testudineum

(Brown et al., 2004)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. neut. adj. testudineum – of a tortoise

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma testudineum (not part of a cluster), related to Mycoplasma agassizii (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 92.02%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

BH29^T (desert tortoise – Gopherus agassizii, USA, -1995), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

2 draft genomes (2 x BH29^T – USA) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; temperature optimum for growth is 30°C (now growth at 34°C or above)

Host

desert and gopher tortoise

Habitat

respiratory tract

Disease(s)

chronic rhinitis and conjunctivitis of tortoises, but may be present in hosts without disease

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

only reported to occur in the USA, far less common than Mycoplasma agassizii

Diagnosis

cultivation (at 30°C) and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma testudineum BH29^T between the Bovis and Hyopneumoniae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. 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 testudineum BH29^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAAGTACTTGTACTTTAGCGGCAAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACCTACCTCACAGACTGGAATAACCAAGGGAAACTTTGGCTAATGCCGGATACACCTTAACTTCGCATGAAGATAAGGTTAAAGGAACTATTGTTTCACTGGGAGATGGGGGTGCGTTACATTAGTTAGTTGGCGGTGTAATAGACCACCAAGACGATGATGTATAGCCGGGTTGAGAGACCGAACGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTTCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATCGTAAACTGCTGTTATACAGAAAGAAAAGATAAGGGAGTGGAAAGCCCTTATTATGACGGTACTGTATCAGAAAGTGACGGCAAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCACAAGCGTTATCCGAAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCCGTAGGTTGTCTGTTAAGTCTGAAGTCAAAAACCGAAGCCCAACTTCGGCTCGCTTCAGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTATAGAGAGGTTAGTGGAATTTCATGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATATGAAAGAACACCAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGCTATATACTGACACTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGGCGCAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTTGGTGGAGCAATTCACCGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGACGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCGGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACCGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCCTTAGTTACTAACATTAAGTTGAGCACTTTAAGGATACTGCCTAGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGGTACAAAGAGACGCAATATGGTGACATGGAGCAAATCTGAAAAACCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGGCTGCAATTCGCCTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCCGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTAGCTAACTACGGAAGCGACTGCCTAAGGTAGGATTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma testudineum BH29^T(Accession number: NR_115220)

Species assigned by: Brown, D.R., Merritt, J.L., Jacobson, E.R., Klein, P.A., Tully, J.G., Brown, M.B. 2004. Mycoplasma testudineum sp. nov., from a desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) with upper respiratory tract disease. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54: 1527-1529.