Mycoplasma feliminutum

(Heyward et al., 1969)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. feles – a cat, L. neut. part. adj. minutum – little, N.L. neut. adj. feliminutum – a small organism from a cat (referring to the small colony size of the organism)

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma feliminutum (not part of a cluster, close to genus Acholeplasma), related to Acholeplasma axanthum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 87.67%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

Ben^T (cat, USA, 1968), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

no genome published (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

cats, occasionally isolated from cattle

Habitat

nasopharynx

Disease(s)

unknown, no disease reported

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown, rarely isolated from cats (nasopharynx) and cattle (genital tract)

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma feliminutum Ben^T close genus Acholeplasma based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae J^T 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 feliminutum Ben^T

CTGGCGGTACGTCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGGAAATTTTAAATTACTTCGGTAAGATAAAATTTTAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTAGGTAATCTGCCTTTAAGTTGGGGATAACTTTCGGAAACGAATGCTAATACCGAATAATCTGTGAAAAAGGCATCTTTTTCATTGTAAAGGTCCGTTTGGATCGCTTAAAGAGGAGCCTGCGGTGCATTAGTTAGTTGGTGGGGTAATGGCCCACCAAGACAATGATGCATAGCTGGACTGAGAGGTTGAACAGCCACATTGGGACTGAGAACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGAGAATCTTCGGCAATGGGGGAAACCCTGACCGAGCGATACCGCGTGAATGATGAAGTATTTCGGTATGTAAAATTCTTTTATTAGGGAAGAACGATATTTGTAGGAAATGACAAATAAGTGACGTTACCTAATGAATAAGTCCCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGGACAAGCGTTATCCGGATTAATTGGGCGTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGCGGTTTTTTAAGTTTGGGGTTTAATTTCATGGCTCAACCATGTCCCGCTCCAAAAACTGGAAGACTAGAGCAAGATAGAGGTAAGTGGAATTCCATGTGTAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAAATATATGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTACTGGGTCTTTGCTGACGCTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCATGCCGTAAACGATGAGTACTAACTGTCTGGAAAACTAGGCGGTAAAGTTAACGCATTAAGTACTCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTACGCAAGTATAAAACTCAAAGGAATTGGCGGGACCTCGCACAAGCGGTGGATCATGTTGTTTAATTCGACGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCAGGTCTTGACATACTCGGCAATACTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTATCCGATGTACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCACTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACTCTTATTGCTATTTGCCAGCATTCAGTTGGGAACTATAGTGAGACTGCCAGTGACAAACTGGAGGAAGGTAGGAATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGACCTGGGCTACAAACGTGATACAATGGTTGATACAAAGGGAAGCCAAAGCGTGAGCTGGAGCAAATCCCAGAAAAACAATCCCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGCCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAAATCAGAACGTTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGAGGTTTGCACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGAAAGTTTATAATACCCAAAACCGGTGGTCTAACCGTAAGGAGGGAGCCGTCTAAGGTAGGGTAAATGATTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma feliminutum Ben^T(Accession number: NR_029181)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma feliminutum strain 3885 (isolated from the nose of a cat) 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: Heyward, J.T., Sabry, M.Z., Dowdle, W.R. 1969. Characterization of mycoplasma species of feline origin. Am. J. Vet. Res. 30: 615-622.