Mycoplasma equirhinis
(Allam & Lemcke, 1975)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. equus – a horse, Gr. n. rhis – the nose, N.L. gen. n. equirhinis – of the equine nose
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma equirhinis (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma hominis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.45%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
M432/72T (horse, UK, 1972), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
2 completed (M432/72T – UK; Myco-7 – Japan); one draft genome (again type strain) (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
horse
Habitat
upper respiratory tract
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown, probably worldwide occurrence in horses
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma equirhinis M432/72T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAGGCTAGCAATAGCCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCCTTTAGATTGGAATACCCAATGGAAACATTGGCTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAATCGCATGGTTCCGTTGTGAAAGGGGCTTTCAAGCCCCACTAAAGGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCCCACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAACACCTAGTAGAGGAAATGCTACTAGGCTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGAGTCAAATCCCGGGGCTCAACCCCGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTGGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAATCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACACGGAAAACCTTACCCACTTTTGACATCCTTTGCAAAACTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGTTAACAAAGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTTAAGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACAAGTGGGGCCACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACCGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma agalactiae M432/72T (Accession number: NR_024978)Fig. 3. Size variable colonies of Mycoplasma equirhinis M432/72T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)