Acholeplasma laidlawii

(Sabin, 1941; Edward & Freundt, 1970)

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; N.L. gen. masc. n. laidlawii – of Laidlaw (referring to P. Laidlaw)

Taxonomy

Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma – Acholeplasma laidlawii, closely related to Acholeplasma pleciae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.38%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

PG8^T (sewage, USA, ≤1938), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

4 completed (2 x PG8^T – USA, JS42 – China, 8195 – USA); 14 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

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

broad host range including mammals, birds, environment

Habitat

multiple

Disease(s)

unknown, considered to be a commensal or contaminant

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS or genetically

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8^T within genus Acholeplasma based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae J^T 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)

>Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8^T

AGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAGGATGAACGCTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGAAGCATCTTCGGATGCTTAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGATAACCTACCTTTAACTCGAGGATAACTCCGGGAAACTGGAGCTAATACTGGATAGGATGTGTGCATGAAAAAAACACATTTAAAGATTTATCGGTTTAAGAGGGGTCTGCGGCGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGGAGTAAAAGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGCGTAGCCGGACTGAGAGGTCTACCGGCCCACATTGGGACTGAGAACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAAGGGAATTTTCGGCAATGGGGGAAACCCTGACCGACCAACGCCGCGTGAACGACGAAGTACTTCGGTATGTAAAGTTCTTTTATATGGGAAGAAAAATTGAAAATTGACGGTACCATATGAATAAGCCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGTGGTTATAAAAGTTTGTGGTGTAAGTGCAGTGCTTAACGCTGTGAGGCTATGAAAACTATATAACTAGAGTGAGACAGAGGCAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGTGAAGGCGGCTTGCTGGGTCTATACTGACACTGATGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGAACTAAGTGTTGGGCAAAAGGTCAGTGCTGCAGTTAACGCATTAAGTTCTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTACGCAAGTATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGACCCCGCACAAGCGGTGGGATCATGTTGTTTAATTCGAAGATACAACGAAAAACCTTACCAGGTCTTTGACATACTCTGCAAAAGGCTTAGAAATAAGTCCGGAGGCTTACAGATGTACAGGTGGTGCACGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTGCTAGTTACCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGTGATAAATTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGAACCTGGGCTACCAAACGTGATACAATGGCTGGAACAAAGAGAAGCGATAGGGTGACCTGGAGCGAAACTCACAAAAACAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCCCAAATCAGCATGTTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGGTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTGGGCAATACCCAACGCCGGTGGCCTAACCCGAAAGGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTCCATGATTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGTAACCCTA

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8^T(Accession number: NR_025961)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8^T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation at 33°C exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Sabin, A.B. 1941. The filtrable microorganisms of the pleuropneumonia group. Bact. Rev. 5: 1-67; Edward, D.G., Freundt, E.A. 1970. Amended nomenclature for strains related to Mycoplasma laidlawii. J. Gen. Microbiol. 62: 1-2.