Mycoplasma arginini
(Barile et al., 1968)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. argininum – arginine, N.L. gen. n. arginini – of arginine (referring to its hydrolysis)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma arginini (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma gateae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.44%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
G230T (mouse brain experimentally infected with scrapies, USA, ≤1987), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
3 completed (2x G230T – USA; HAZ145_1 – Japan); 15 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
hydrolysis of arginine; non-fermentative, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
broad range of hosts including ruminants, swine, horses, dogs, cats, rodents, birds, primates
Habitat
respiratory tract, oropharynx, genital tract, mammary gland
Disease(s)
considered to be a commensal but may exacerbate existing disease conditions caused by primary pathogens (respiratory disease, mastitis, arthritis)
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in a broad range of hosts; transmission by direct contact
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma arginini G230T within the Hominis cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T was used as out-group (Synoviae 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAGGTTCTTTTGAACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCCTTTAGATTGGAATACCCAATGGAAACATTGGCTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAATCGCATGATTCCGTTGTGAAAGGAGCCCTTAAAGCTCCGCTAGAGGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAGGGAAAGAACACCTGGTTGAGGAAATGCTTCCAGGCTGACGGTACCCTGTCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGAGTCAAATCCCAGGGCTCAACCCTGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGTAAACTAGAGTTAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAGTTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCCTTCGCAATGCTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGTTAACGGAGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTCATGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTACGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTAGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACCGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma arginini G230T (Accession number: NR_041743)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma arginini G230T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Note, colour change of solid medium from ochre to reddish based on release of ammonia resulting from hydrolysis of arginine creating an alkaline pH. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)