Acholeplasma granularum

(Switzer, 1964; 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. fem. n. granula – a granule, N.L. gen. pl. n. granularum – granular

Taxonomy

Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma –Acholeplasma granularum, related to Acholeplasma pleciae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.52%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

BTS-39^T (swine, USA, ≤1964), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one draft genome (BTS-39^T – USA) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3), sometimes granular

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; non-sterol requiring; temperature optimum for growth is 33°C

Host

swine and other mammals

Habitat

nasal cavity (in swine)

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 granularum BTS-39^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 granularum BTS-39^T

CTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACCGAAGCATCTTCGGATGCTTAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGATAACCTACCCTAGACTCGAGGATAACTCCGGGAAACTGGAGCTAATACTGGATAGGATATAGAGATAATTTCTTTATATTTAAAGATTTATCGGTCTAGGAGGGGTCTGCGGCGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGGGGTAAAGGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGCGTAGCCGGACTGAGAGGTCTACCGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGAACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCGGCAATGGGGGGAACCCTGACCGAGCAACGCCGCGTGAACGACGAAGTACTTCGGTATGTAAAGTTCTTTTATATGGGAAGAAAAAGCAATTATTGACGGTACCATATGAATAAGCCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGTGGTTAATTAAGTTTGTGGTGTAAGTGCAGTGCTCAACGCTGTGAGGCTATGAAAACTGATTAACTAGAGTGAGACAGAGGCAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTGCTGGGTCTATACTGACACTGATGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGAGAACTAAGTGTTGGCCAAAAGGTCAGTGCTGCAGTTAACGCATTAAGTTCTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTACGCAAGTATGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGACCCCGCACAAGCGGTGGATCATGTTGTTTAATTCGAAGATACACGAAAAACCTTACCAGGTCTTGACATACTCTGCAAAGGCTTAGAAATAAGTTCGGAGGCTAACAGATGTACAGGTGGTGCACGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTGCTAGTTACCATCATTAAGTTGGGGACTCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGTGATAAATTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGACCTGGGCTACAAACGTGATACAATGGCTGGAACAAAGAGAAGCGATAGGGTGACCTGGAGCGAAACTCACAAAAACAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAAATCAGCATGTTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGGTTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTGGGCAATACCCAACGCCGGTGGCCTAACCCGAAAGGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTCCAT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma granularum BTS-39^T(Accession number: NR_042957)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Acholeplasma granularum BTS-39^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: Switzer, W.P. 1964. Mycoplasmosis. In: Dunne, H.W. (eds.), Diseases of Swine, 2nd ed., Iowa State University Press, Ames, pp. 498-507; Edward, D.G., Freundt, E.A. 1970. Amended nomenclature for strains related to Mycoplasma laidlawii. J. Gen. Microbiol. 62: 1-2.