Mycoplasma imitans

(Bradbury et al., 1993)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. part. adj. imitans – imitating (referring to the organism’s resemblance to Mycoplasma gallisepticum)

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma imitans (Pneumoniae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma tullyi (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.86%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

4229^T (mule duck, France, 1984) (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one draft genome (4229^T – France) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid – flask-shaped

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose, non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

duck, goose, partridge

Habitat

upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

associated with (mild) upper respiratory disease

Pathogenicity

factors largely unknown, haemagglutinins (pMGA family) have been identified

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 imitans 4229^T within the Pneumoniae 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 imitans 4229^T

CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGATCGGATGTAGCAATACATTAGAGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCCAATCTGCCTTATAGTGGGGGATAACTAGTCGAAAGATTAGCTAATACCGCATAACAAGTTACCTATCGCATGAGAATAACTTTAAAGAAGCAACTGCTTCGCTATAAGATGAGGGTGCGGCATATCAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGGTAATGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGACGTGTAGTTATGCTGAGAGGTAGAATAACCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCAATGCCGCGTGAACGATGAAGGTCTTTTTAGATTGTAAAGTTCTTTTATTTGGGAAGAACAGTTAGTAGAGTGGAAAGCTACTAATTTGACTGTACCATTTGAATAAGTAACGACTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGTCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTATTGGGCGTAAAACAAGCGCAGGCGGATTAGAAAGTCTGGTGTTAAAAGCAATTGCTTAACGATTGTATGCATTGGAAACTTCTAGTCTAGAGTTTGGTAGAGAGTCCTGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAGAGGCGAAGGCGAGGACTTGGGCCAATACTGACGCTTAGGCTTGAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACTGTAAACGATGGATGTTAAGTGTCGGAGCGAATACTTCGGTGCTGCAGTTAACACATTAAACATCCTGCCTGAGTAGTACATTCGCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTCGACGGTACACGAAAAACCTTACCTAGACTTGACATCTTGGGCGAAGCTATAGAAATATAGTGGAGGTCAACCCAATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCGTTAGTTACTTTGTCTAACGAGACTGCCAACGTAAGTTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATGTCTAGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGCCAATACAAACAGTTGCAAATCCGTAAGGTGGAGCTAATCTGTAAAGTTGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCATGAAGTCGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGCCATGTCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACTATGAGAGCTGGTAATATCTAAAACCGTGTTGCTAACCGCAAGGAAGCGCATGTCTAGGGTAGGGCCGGTGATTGGAGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma imitans 4229^T(Accession number: NR_025912)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma imitans 4229^T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 5 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Bradbury, J.M., Abdul-Wahab, O.M., Yavari, C.A., Dupiellet, J.P., Bove, J.M. 1993. Mycoplasma imitans sp. nov. is related to Mycoplasma gallisepticum and found in birds. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 43: 721-728.