Acholeplasma multilocale
(Hill et al., 1992)
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. adj. multus – many, L. adj. localis – local, N.L. neut. adj. multilocale – in many locations
Taxonomy
Acholeplasmatales – Acholeplasmataceae – Acholeplasma – Acholeplasma multilocale, related to members of the Mycoides cluster and genus Entomoplasma such as Entomoplasma seiffertii (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.55%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PN525T (horse, UK, ≤1992), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (PN525T – UK) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose and hydrolysis of arginine; non-urea-hydrolyzing; non-sterol requiring; temperature optimum for growth is 33°C
Host
broad host range (mammals, possibly arthropods)
Habitat
multiple (nasopharynx, intestine, environment)
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 multilocale PN525T close to genus Entomoplasma based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGGGAGTGCTTGCACTCCAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCTAATCTACCTAATAGCGGGGGATAGCCTTTGGAAACGAAGGGTAATACCGCATGAGAACTTCATTATCGCATGAGAAGAAGTTGAAAGCACCGTTTGGTGCACTATTAGATGAGGATGCGGCGTATTAGCTAGTAGGCGGGGTAAAGGCCCACCTAGGCGATGATACGTAGCCGAACTGAGAGGTTGATCGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAGTGATGAAGGTTTTCGGATCGTAAAGCTCTGTTGTAAGGGAAGAACACTTAGGAGAGGAAATGCTCTTAAGCTGACGGTACCTTACCAGAAAGCCACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTGGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTATTGGGCGTATAGGGTGCGTAGGCGGTTTTGTAAGTTGAAGGTTAAAGCCCGGGGCTCAACCCCGGTTCGCCTTCAAAACTACATCACTAGAATACAAGAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCTGTGGCGAAAGCGGCTTACTGGCTTGTTATTGACGCTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGTTGAGTACTAAGTGTCGGGGGTTATACCTCGGTGCTGCAGCTAACGCATTAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTCAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTCGAAGCAACACGAAGAACCTTACCAGGGCTTGACATCCAATGCAACGGTATAGAGATATATCCGAGGTTAACATTGAGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGTTCGTGCCGTGAGGTGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAACGCAACCCTTGTCGTTAGTTACTAACATTAAGTTGAGGACTCTAACGAGACTGCTAGTGTAAGCTAGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGTCCTGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGATACAAAGAGTCGCAATCTCGCGAGGGGGAGCTAATCTCAAAAAGTCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGCCGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGCTATGTCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCAGGAGAGTTGGTAATACCAGAAGTAGGTAGCTTAACCGTAAGGAGAGCGCTTCCCAAGGTAGGATTAGC
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Acholeplasma multilocale PN525T (Accession number: NR_042960)
Fig. 3. Large colonies of Acholeplasma multilocale strain 41 (isolated from the eye of a common crane) 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)