Ureaplasma felinum
(Harasawa et al., 1990)
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. feles – a cat, L. neut. adj. felinum – belonging to a cat
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Ureaplasma – Ureaplasma felinum (Ureaplasma cluster), closely related to Ureaplasma cati (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.85%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
FT2-BT (cat, Japan, ≤1979), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
no genome published (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 cat
Habitat
oropharynx
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal or opportunist
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
probably worldwide occurrence in domestic cats; transmission by oral contact
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by gene sequence analysis
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Ureaplasma felinum FT2-BT 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATCCAAATCGAACGAAGCCTTTTAGGCTTAGTGGTGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCCAATCTACCCTTAAGTTGGGGATAACTAGTCGAAAGATTAGCTAATACCGAATAATAACATTTGATCGCATGATTAAATGTAGAAAGTCGCGTTTGCGACGCTTTTGGATGAGGGTGCGACGTATCAGATAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCTCACCAAGTCAATGACGCGTAGCTGTACTGAGAGGTAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTTATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAATGATGAAGGTCTTATAGATTGTAAAATTCTTTTATTTGGGAAGAAATGTTAAGATAGGAAATGATTTTAACTTGACTGTACCATTTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAACGAGCGCAGGCGGGTTTGTAAGTTTGGTATGAAATCTAGATGCTCAACGTCTAGCTGTATCAAAAACTGTAAACCTAGAATGTAGTAGGGAGTTGGGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCGGTGGCGAAGGCGCCAACTTAGACTATCCACTGACGCTTAGGCTCGAAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATGATCATTAAATGTCGGCCCGGATGGGTCGGTGTTGTAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCTGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCCCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTTGACAATACACGTAGAACCTTACCTAGGTTTGACATCTATTGCAATGTTATAGAAATATAACGGAGGTTAACAATATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTTTCGTTAGTTAATTTTTTACCGATACTGCTTCTCAAAGTAGAGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATATCTAGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTTAATACAAAGTGTCGCGACTTCGTAAGAAGAAGCCAATCACATAAAGTTAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTTATGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGACATGTCGCGGGGATTACGTCCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGCCAAACTATGGGAGCTGGTAATATCTAAAACCGTATTTTTAACCGTAAGGAGGAGTACGTCTAGGGTAGGATCGGGGATTGGAGTAAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Ureaplasma felinum FT2-BT (Accession number: NR_025879)
Fig. 3. Tiny branched colonies of Ureaplasma felinum FT2-BT produced on U4 agar after 4 days of incubation. 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)