Mycoplasma falconis

(Poveda et al., 1994)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. falco – a falcon, L. gen. n. falconis – of a falcon

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma falconis (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma struthionis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.12%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

H/T1^T (saker falcon – Falco cherrug, Spain, ≤1994), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one draft genome (H/T1^T – Spain) (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

falcons

Habitat

upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

unknown, considered to be a commensal or opportunist

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence in falcons; 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 falconis H/T1^T within the Hominis cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853^T 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)

>Mycoplasma falconis H/T1^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGGGTTCCCTCGGGAACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCTCTTAGATTGGAATACCAAATGGAAACATTTGCTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAACCGCATGGTTCCGTTGTGAAAGGAGCCTTTAAAGCTCCGCTAAGAGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAACACTTCAAGTAGGAAATGACTTGAAGCTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGAGTCAAATCCCAGGGCTCAACCCTGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGTAAACTAGAGTTGGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAAAATTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACACGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTTAAGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGCGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACCGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma falconis H/T1^T(Accession number: NR_024984)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma falconis H/T1^T 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)

Species assigned by: Poveda, J.B., Giebel, J., Flossdorf, J., Meier, J., Kirchhoff, H. 1994. Mycoplasma buteonis sp. nov., Mycoplasma falconis sp. nov., and Mycoplasma gypis sp. nov., three species from birds of prey. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44: 94-98.