Mycoplasma felis
(Cole et al., 1967)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. feles – a cat, L. gen. n. felis – of a cat
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma felis (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma mustelae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 96.61%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
COT (cat, USA, ≤1967), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
23 completed (COT – USA; Myco-2 (equine isolate) – Japan; 64570, 48341, 99014, 53109, 5x 40612, 35610, 21976, 4x 57065, 27649, 71855, 11534, 99751, 79979 – all Canada; 329 – Australia); 7 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology, variable in opacity (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
domestic cats, wild felids, occasionally horses
Habitat
eye, oro- and nasopharynx, respiratory tract
Disease(s)
implicated to cause conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tract disease in subpopulations of colonized cats; possibly a secondary cause of feline lower respiratory disease (feline asthma, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia); occasionally associated with arthritis and meningoencephalitis in cats; sporadically associated with lower respiratory disease and pleuritis in horses
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in domestic cats and certain wild felids, rarely found in horses
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma felis COT 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTTTAGGACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTTTAGTTTGGAATAACGGTGAGAAATTATCGCTAATGCCGGATACTTTTTTATTTCACATGAGATTTAAATAAAAGGAACTTCAAAGTTTCACTAAAAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAGGGTAAAGGCCTACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAATATTATAAGAAAAGATAATATCTTGACGGTACCTTATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTGTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCACACTAGAATTGTATAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTAGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATTAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGTACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCACACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATAGAGAATCTATCGGCACAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTCAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGGTCCCTTAGTTAAATATTCTAGGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGATGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATACGGCGACGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCATTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTTAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGGCCGGTGACTGGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma felis COT (Accession number: NR_029174)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma felis COT on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)