Acholeplasma equifetale
(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; L. n. equus – a horse, N.L. adj. fetalis – pertaining to the fetus, N.L. neut. adj. equifetale – pertaining to the equine foetus
Taxonomy
Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma – Acholeplasma equifetale, related to Acholeplasma equirhinis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.40%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
C112T (equine fetus, Germany, 1977), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (C112T – Germany) (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
horse, but has also been isolated from chicken
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 equifetale C112T 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)
>Acholeplasma equifetale C112T
CTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGCTCTATAGCAATATAGAGAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGATAACCTRCCCTTAACTCGAGGATAACTCTGGGAAACTGGAGCTAATACTGGATAGGACATATTGAGGCATCTTGATATGTTTAAAGATTTATCGGTTAAGGAGGGGTCTGCGGCGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGAGGTAAAAGCTTACCAAGACGATGATGCGTAGCCGGACTGAGAGGTCGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGAACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCGGCAATGGGGGGAACCCTGACCGAGCAACGCCGCGTGGACGAAGAAGTTCTTCGGAATGTAAAGTCCTTTTATCTGGGAAGAAAAATAACCAAATTGACGGTACCAGATGAATAAGCCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGCGGTTAATTAAGTTTCTGGTGTAAGTGCAGTGCTTAACGCTGTGATGCTAGGAAAACTGGTTAACTAGAGTGAGACAGAGGCAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTGCTGGGTCTWTACTGACGCTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGTACTAAGTGTTGGCCAAAAGGTCAGTGCTGAAGTAAACACATTAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTACGCAAGTATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGACCCCGCACAAGCGGTGGATCATGTTGTTTAATTCGACGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCAGGTCTTGACATGCTCTGCAAAGGCTTAGAAATAAGTACGGAGGTTAACAGATGCACAGGTGGTGCACGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCGTTAGTTACCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGTGAYAAACTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGACCTGGGCTACAAACGTGATACAATGGCTGCTACAAAGAGAAGCGAAGGGGTGACCTCAAGCAAATCTCAAAAAAGCAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCGAGTCAGCATATCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGGTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTGAGCAATACCCAAAGCCGGTGGCCTAACCGAAAGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTTCAT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma equifetale C112T (Accession number: NR_042956)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Acholeplasma equifetale C112T 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)