Mycoplasma equigenitalium

(Kirchhoff, 1978)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. equus – a horse, L. pl. n. genitalia – the genitals, N.L. gen. pl. n. equigenitalium – of equine genitalia

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma equigenitalium (not part of a cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma elephantis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.10%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

T37^T (horse, Germany, 1970), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed (T37^T – Germany) (NCBI genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

horse

Habitat

genital tract

Disease(s)

unknown, has been occasionally associated with equine genital disorders

Pathogenicity

factors unknown, expresses phase- and size-variable antigens on its surface

Epidemiology

unknown; transmission by the genital route

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma equigenitalium T37^T in between the Bovis and Hyopneumoniae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae 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)

>Mycoplasma equigenitalium T37^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAGGTGCTTGCACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACATACCTTATAGTTTGGGATAACGTTTGGAAACAGGCGCTAATACCGAATATCTGTTTTTATCGCATGATGAAAACATGAAAGGAGCTTCTGGCTTCGCTATTGGATTGGGGTGCGGAATATTAGTTAGTTGGTGGGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGACGATGATATTTAGCCGGGTTGAGAGACCGACCGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGAACGATGAAGCCCTTCGGGGTGTAAAGTTCTGTTATAAGAGAAGAAAAAACTAGGGAGGAAATGCCTTAGTCTTGACGGTATCTTATCAGAAAGTGACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCACGAGCGTTATCCGAAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCCGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGACGTTAAATCTTGGGGCTCAACCCCATTCCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAGCTAGAGTTATATAGAGGTTAGTGGAATTCAATGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATATTGAAGAACACCAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGTATAAACTGACACTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTTGGTGGCAAAGTCACTAACACAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACACTTGACATCTTCTGCAATGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCATTATTTACCATCATTTAGTTGGGGACTATAATGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGTGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGATACAAAGAGAAGCAACCCGGCGACGGTGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAATCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGGTCAGCTATACTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGATCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGAAATGCCCGAAGCCGGTTAGTTAACTTCGGAGGCAACTGTCTAAGGCAGGTCCGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma equigenitalium T37^T(Accession number: NR_025070)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma equigenitalium T37^T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Kirchhoff, H. 1978. Mycoplasma equigenitalium, a new species from the cervix region of mares. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 28: 496-502.