Mycoplasma fermentans
(Edward, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. part. adj. fermentans – fermenting
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma fermentans (Bovis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma caviae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.24%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG18T (human, UK, ≤1952), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
4 completed (2x PG18T – UK; M64 – China/Taiwan; JER – USA); 2 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose and hydrolysis of arginine; non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
humans, occassionally isolated from sheep and cattle
Habitat
unknown; isolated from the human respiratory and urogenital tract, occassionally revovered from the genital tract of sheep and cattle
Disease(s)
suggested to play a role in many illnesses such as respiratory, genital and rheumatoid diseases in humans, and as co-factor in HIV infections; sporadically associated with inflammation of mucous membranes of the genital tract in sheep
Pathogenicity
proposed factors include lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) that may play a role in immunomodulation and the development of infection-associated inflammatory diseases including the potent macrophage-activating lipopeptide MALP-2; adhesins (e.g. P29) and factors promoting cell invasion
Epidemiology
unknown
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma fermentans PG18T within the Bovis 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGGTAGCAATACCTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTCAACGTACCCTTCAGTTTGGCATAGCGACTGGAAACAGTCGATAATTTCAAATACTCGTAGTTTTCGCATGAAGATTACGGAAAAGAAGCGTTTGCTTCGCTGGAGGAGCGGGGTGCGTAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGAAGGATGAAGGTCCTATGGATTGTAAACTTCTGTGGTAAGGGAAGAAAAGACAGAATAGGAAATGATTTTGTTTTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAAACGCGTTGGATACTGGCAGGCTAGAGTTGTGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAAGATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGACATATACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATGGAGACATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTACTACCATTCAGTTGAGGACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCGAAGTGGTGACATGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma fermentans PG18T (Accession number: FJ226561)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma fermentans PG18T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)