Acholeplasma hippikon
(Kirchhoff, 1974)
Etymology
Gr. pref. a – not, without, Gr. n. chole – bile, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Acholeplasma – a form for which cholesterol (a constituent of bile) is not required for growth; Gr. adj. hippikon – of a horse
Taxonomy
Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma – Acholeplasma hippikon, closely related to Acholeplasma equirhinis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 96.18%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
C1T (equine fetus, Germany, 1977), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (C1T – Germany); one draft genome (again the type strain) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
small colonies with fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; non-sterol requiring; temperature optimum for growth is 33°C
Host
horse
Habitat
genital tract, intestinal tract
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal although once isolated from aborted fetus
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Acholeplasma hippikon C1T within genus Acholeplasma 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)
CTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGCTCTATAGCAATATAGGGAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGATAACCTACCCTTACTTCGAGGATAACTTCGGGAAACTGGAGCTAATACTGGATAGGACATATTGAGGCATCTTAATATGTTTAAAGATTTATCGAGTAAGGAGGGGTCTGCGGCGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGGGGTAAAGGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGCGTAGCCGGACTGAGAGGTCTACCGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGAACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCGGCAATGGGGGAAACCCTGACCGAGCAACGCCGCGTGAACGAAGAAGTTCTTCGGAATGTAAAGTTCTTTTATCTGGGAAGAAAAATAACCAAATTGACGGTACCAGATGAATAAGCCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGGGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGTTGTTAATTAAGTTTCTGGTATAAGTGCAGTGCTCAACGCTGTGATGCTAGAAAAACTGGTTAGCTAGAGTAAGACAGAGGTAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTACTGGGTCTTTACTGACGCTGATGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGTACTAAGTGTTGGCCCTAAGGGTCAGTGCTGCAGCTAACGCATTAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTACGCAAGTATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGACCCCGCACAAGCGGTGGATCATGTTCTTTAATTCGTCGATACGCGAAAAACCTTACCAGGTCTTGACATACTCTGCAATGGCTTAGAAATAAGTTCGGAGGTTAACAGATGTACAGGTGGTGCACGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTGCTAGTTACCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGTGATAAACTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGACCTGGGCTAGAAACGTGATACAATGGCAAATACAAAGAGAAGCAAGAGGGTGACCTGGAGCGAATCTCATAAAAATTGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTTGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGGTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTGAACAATACCCAAAGCCGGTGGCCTAACCCGAAAGGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTTCAT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma hippikon C1T (Accession number: NR_042958)
Fig. 3. Small colonies of Acholeplasma hippikon C1T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation at 33°C exhibiting fried egg morphology in outlines. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)