Ureaplasma canigenitalium
(Harasawa et al., 1993)
Etymology
N.L. fem. n. urea – urea, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Ureaplasma – urea form referring to a form that utilizes urea; L. n. canis – a dog, L. pl. n. genitalia – the genitals, N.L. pl. gen. n. canigenitalium – of the canine genitals
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Ureaplasma – Ureaplasma canigenitalium (Ureaplasma cluster), related to Ureaplasma diversum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.18%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
D6P-CT (dog, Japan, ≤1979), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (D6P-CT – Japan) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
tiny and flat colonies, branched or with fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
hydrolysis of urea; non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing
Host
domestic dogs
Habitat
genital tract, oropharynx
Disease(s)
unknown, occasionally associated with genital disorder and infertility
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
probably worldwide occurrence in domestic dogs; transmission directly via oral and oro-genital contact or through the genital route
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by gene sequence analysis
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Ureaplasma canigenitalium D6P-CT within the Ureaplasma cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae JT 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATGCAAATCGAACGAAGCCTTTTAGGCTTAGTGGTGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCCAATCTACCCTTAAGTTGGGGATAACTAGTCGAAAGATTAGCTAATACCGAATAATAACATAACTATCGCATGATAGATATGTAGAAAGTCGCGTTTGCGACGCTTTTGGATGAGGGTGCGACGTATCAGATAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCTCACCAAGTCAATGACGCGTAGCTGTACTGAGAGGTAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTTATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAACGATGAAGGTCTAAGAGATTGTAAAGTTCTTTTATTTGGGAAGAAACGTTTAAATAGGAAATGATTTAAATTTGACTGTACCATTTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAACGAGCGCAGGCGGGTCTGCAAGTTTGGTATGAAATCTAGATGCTCAACGTCTAGCTGTATCAAAAACTGCAAACCTAGAGTGTAGTAGGGAATTGGGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCGGTGGCGAAGGCGCCCACTTGGACTATACACTGACGCTTAGGCTCGAAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATCATCATTAAATGTCGACCCGGATGGGTCGGTGTTGTAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATGTGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCGCTAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTTGCCGATACACGTAGAACCGTACCTAGGTTTGACATCTACTGCAAAGCTATAGAAATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAATATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTTTCGTTAGTTAATTTTCTAATCGATACTGCTACCGCAAGGTAGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATATCTAGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTTATTACAAACTGTTGCCAAACCGTAAGGTGAAGCGAATCAGATAAAGATAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCATGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGAAATGTCGCGGGGATTACGTCCTCGGGTCTGGTACACACCGCCCGCCAAACTATGGGAGCTAGTAATATCTAAAACCGTGCTGTAAACCGTTCGGGGAGGAATACGTCTAGGGTAGGATTGGGGATTGGAGTAAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Ureaplasma canigenitalium D6P-CT (Accession number: NR_025877)
Fig. 3. Small colonies of Ureaplasma canigenitalium strain CAR1 (isolated from the vagina of a dog) produced on U4 agar after 5 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 urea creating an alkaline pH. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)