Mycoplasma gallinarum
(Freundt, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. gallina – a hen, L. gen. pl. n. gallinarum – of hens
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma gallinarum (Bovis cluster), related to Mycoplasma columbinum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.50%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG16T (chicken, UK, ≤1953), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
2 draft genomes (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
poultry, occassionally isolated from pigs, cattle, and sheep
Habitat
upper respiratory tract
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a common and harmless inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract of poultry
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma gallinarum PG16T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCAAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCTCTTAGATTGGGATAGCAGTTGGAAACAACTATTAATAACAAATACGTATAATTTTCGCATGAAGATTATATAAAAGTAGCGTTTGCTACACTAAGAGAGCGGGGTGCGTAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGACGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGGACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAACGAAAGTTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCCTATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGAGAAGAAAAAACCGAGGAGGAAATGCCTTGGTCTTGACGGTATCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGATGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAACACGCATTGGATACTGGCATACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAATGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAATATGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCATCGGCGCACGTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTACTAACATTAAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAACTGGTGACAGGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma gallinarum PG16T (Accession number: NR_044638)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma gallinarum PG16T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)