Acholeplasma equirhinis
(Volokhov et al., 2019)
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, Gr. n. rhis – the nose, N.L. gen. n. equirhinis – of the equine nose
Taxonomy
Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma – Acholeplasma equirhinis, related to Acholeplasma hippikon (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 96.18%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
N93T (horse, UK, 2005?), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (N93T – UK) (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
Habitat
nasopharynx
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal
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 equirhinis N93T 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)
CTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGCTCTAGTAGCAATACTAGGGAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGATAACCTACCCTTACTTCGAGGATAACTTCGGGAAACTGGAGCTAATACTGGATAGGACGAACTGAGGAATCTTGGATCGTTTAAAGATTTATCGAGTGAGGAGGGGTCTGCGGCGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGGGGTAAARGCCTACCAAGACAATGATGCGTAGCCGGACTGAGAGGTCTACCGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGAACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCGGCAATGGGGGAAACCTTGACCGAGCAACGCCGCGTGAACGAAGAAGTTCTTCGGAATGTAAAGTTCTTTTATCTGGGAAGAAAAATAACCAAATTGACGGTACCAGATGAATAAGCCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGTGGCAAATTAAGTTTCTGGTGTAAGTGCAGTGCTCAACGCTGTGATGCTAGGAAAACTGATTAGCTAGAGTGAGACAGAGGCAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTGCTGGGTCTCTACTGACACTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGTACTAAGTGTTGGCCTTACGGGTCAGTGCTGCAGTTAACGCATTAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTACGCAAGTATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGACCCCGCACAAGCGGTGGATCATGTTGTTTAATTCGAAGATACGCGAAAAACCTTACCAGGTCTTGACATACTCTGCAATGGCTTAGAAATAAGTTCGGAGGTTAACAGATGTACAGGTGGTGCACGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCGTTAGTTACCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGTGACAAACTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGACCTGGGCTACAAACGTGATACAATGGCTGAAACAAAGAGAAGCAATAGGGTGACCTGGAGCGAAACTCATAAAAGCAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGCATGTCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGGTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTGGACAATACCCAAAGCCGGTGGCCTAACCGTAAGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTTCAT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma equirhinis N93T (Accession number: EU925159)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Acholeplasma equirhinis N93T 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)