Mycoplasma gateae

(Cole et al., 1967)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; Spanish n. gato – a cat, N.L. gen. n. gateae – of a cat

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma gateae (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma arginini (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.38%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

CS^T (cat, USA, ≤1967), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed genome (3700 – Austria) (NCBI genome deposits per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

hydrolysis of arginine; non-fermentative, on-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

domestic cat, rarely isolated from wild felids

Habitat

upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

occasionally associated with erosive polyarthritis and tenosynovitis

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence in domestic cats

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma gateae CS^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 gateae CS^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAGGTTCTTTTGAACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCCTTTAGATTGGAATACCCAATGGAAACATTGGCTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAACCGCATGGTTCCGTTGTGAAAGGAGCCTCAAAGCTCCGCTAGAGGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAGGGAAAGAACACTTGGTTGAGGAAATGCTTCCAAGCTGACGGTACCCTGTCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGAGTTAAATCCCAGGGCTCAACCCTGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGTAAACTAGAGTTAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAGTTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCCTTCGCAATGCTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGTTAACGGAGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTCATGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTACGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTAGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACCGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma gateae CS^T(Accession number: NR_029180)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma gateae CS^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)