Mycoplasma columborale
(Shimizu et al., 1978)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. columbus – a pigeon, L. n. os – the mouth, L. neut. suff. -ale – of, N.L. neut. adj. columborale – of a pigeon mouth
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma columborale (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma citelli (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.08%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
MMP4T (domestic pigeon – Columba livia f. domestica, Japan, 1973), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (MMP4T – Japan); one draft genome (again type strain) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid – pleomorphic
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
rock pigeon (Columba livia)
Habitat
oropharynx
Disease(s)
unknown, no diseases reported
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in rock pigeons
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma columborale MMP4T within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae 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)
>Mycoplasma columborale MMP4T
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTTTAGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTGCCCTCTAGATTGGAATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATGCCGGATACTTATTATTAACACATGTTGATAATATAAAAGGAGCGTTTGCTTCACTAGAGGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAGCAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTGCCTTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTATTTAGAGGTTAATGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAATTAACTGGGAATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGACACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTAGATGATCTAAGGAGACTGCCCAGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGACGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATACGGCGACGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCGTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTTAACTACGGAAACAACCGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma columborale MMP4T (Accession number: NR_025179)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma columborale MMP4T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)