Acholeplasma modicum

(Leach, 1973)

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; L. neut. adj. modicum – moderate (referring to moderate growth)

Taxonomy

Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma – Acholeplasma modicum, related to Acholeplasma axanthum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 92.47%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

PG49^T (tissue culture inoculated with bovine material, USA, ≤1963), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

two draft genomes (PG49^T – USA, HNXY01 – China) (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

unknown, possibly cattle

Habitat

unknown

Disease(s)

unknown, considered to be a commensal or contaminant

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 modicum PG49^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 modicum PG49^T

CAATTGGAGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAGGATNAACGCTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGAAGGTACTTGTACCTTAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGGTAACCTGCCCTNGAATTTGGAATAACAGTTGGAAACGATTGCTAATACYRAATAGGTAATAATCCGGCATCGGAATATTATTAAAGATCCAATCAAGGATCGTTCTAGGAGGGGCCTGCGTCGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGACTGTGATGCGTAGCCGGACTGAGAGGTTGAACGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCAGACTNCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCGGCNATGGGGGAAACCCTGACCGAGCAACGCCGCGTGAATGACGAAGCTCTTTTTGAGTGTAAAATTCTTTTATTAGGGAAGAATGACATATAAAGGAAATAGTATATGTGTGACGGTACTTAATGAATAAGCCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGYAATACATAGGGGGCNAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGAGTAGGCGGTAAATTAAGTTTGGGGTTTAAACACAGTGCTCAACGCTGTGGCGCTTCAAAAACTGATTTACTAGAGTTAGACAGAGGCAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTGCTGGGTCTGGACTGACGCTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGTACTAAGTGTCGGAAGAATTCGGTGCTGTAGTTAACGCAATAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTGCGCAAGCATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGACCCNGCACAAGCGGTGGATCATGTTGTTTAATTCGAAGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCAGGTCTTGACATCCCCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTACCAGGGTGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGTAACGAGCGCAACCCTCGTTGCTAGTTGCCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGTGATAAACTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGACCTGGGCTACAAACGTGATACAATGGCTGGAACAAAAGGAAGCGAAGGAGCGATCTGGAGCAAAACCTCTAAAAACAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGCTGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTGGATCAGAACGCCACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGGTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTTAACAATACCCAAAACCGGTGGCCTAACCATTTATGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTTGATGATTGGG

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma modicum PG49^T(Accession number: NR_044662)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Acholeplasma modicum PG49^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: Leach, R.H. 1973. Further studies on classification of bovine strains of mycoplasmatales, with proposals for new species, Acholeplasma modicum and Mycoplasma alkalescens. J. Gen. Microbiol. 75: 135-153.