Mycoplasma alligatoris

(Brown et al., 2001)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. alligator – an alligator, N.L. gen. n. alligatoris – of an alligator

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma alligatoris (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma crocodyli (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.98%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

A21JP2^T (American alligator – Alligator mississippiensis, USA, 1995), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one draft genome (A21JP2^T – USA) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing; temperature optimum for growth is 30°C (no growth above)

Host

alligators

Habitat

respiratory tract

Disease(s)

lethal pneumonia, polyserositis, pericarditis, and polyarthritis

Pathogenicity

known virulence factors include glycosidases with five hyaluronidases, glucuronidase, two sialidases, three β-galactosidases, β-hexosaminidase, α-amylase (glycogenase), and two glycosyltransferases

Epidemiology

only reported to occur in the USA; transmission modes unknown

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; detection of antibodies using immunoassays

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma alligatoris A21JP2^T within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae 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)

>Mycoplasma alligatoris A21JP2^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCCTAACGTGCCTCTTAGATTGGAATAACGGCTAGAAATGGCCGCTAATGCCGGATACTTATTAGCTTCGCATGAAGTTAATATAAAAGGAGCGTTTGCTCCACTAAGAGATCGGGGTGCGTAACATTAGTTTGTTGGTGAGGTAAAGGCTCACCAAGACGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGAAGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAGTAGCGTAGGAAATGACGTTACCTTGACGGTACCTTATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGACGTTAAAACTTGGAGCTCAACTCCAAATTGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAATTTGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGCATATACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCCTCTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAACTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGTTAACGGAAAGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTAAATATTCTAGGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGAGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGGAAGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAAACGGCGACGTTAAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACTTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma alligatoris A21JP2^T(Accession number: NR_041844)

Species assigned by: Brown, D.R., Farley, J.M., Zacher, L.A., Carlton, J.M., Clippinger, T.L., Tully, J.G., Brown, M.B. 2001. Mycoplasma alligatoris sp. nov., from American alligators. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51: 419-424.