Mycoplasma iowae

(Jordan et al., 1982)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. gen. n. iowae – of Iowa

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma iowae (not part of a cluster), related to Mycoplasma muris (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.73%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

695^T (turkey embryo, USA, ≤1962), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

4 completed (2 x 695^T, M821, M819 – all USA); 2 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid, flask-shaped in certain serovars

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

fermentation of glucose and hydrolysis of arginine; non-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

primarily turkey, but also isolated from chicken and partridge

Habitat

respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive tract

Disease(s)

associated with embryo mortality, reduced hatchability, leg and joint abnormalities, mild airsacculitis

Pathogenicity

factors largely unknown, known mechanisms are attachment organelle-mediated adherence and motility shown in certain serovars, ADP-ribosylating toxin similar to the CARDS toxin of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, variable surface proteins possibly responsible for immune evasion

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence; horizontal transmission by aerosol and the genital route, vertical transmission to eggs

Diagnosis

cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology (categorized into 6 serovars) or genetically; PCR

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma iowae 695^T between the Pneumoniae and Ureaplasma cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. 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 iowae 695^T

CTAGCGGGATGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGGGGTGCTTGCACCCAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCCAACATACCTATTAGTGGGGGATAACTGGATGAAAATCTAGCTAATACCGCATAGGACATTGTTATCGCATGAGAGAATGTTTAAAGTTGCGTTTGCAACGCTTTTAGATTGGGGTGCGGTGTATTAGATAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCTCACCAAGTCAATGATGCATAGCTGTGCTGAGAGGCAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTTCTACGGAAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCAATCCCGCGTGGATGATGAAGGTCTTATATAGATTGTAAAATCCTTTTATTGGAGACGAACGGCAGGAAGAGGAAATGCTTTCTGTGTGACGGTATCCTTTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCGTTATTCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGAGAGCGCGGGCGGATCTGCAAGTCTGGTGTGAAATACAACTGCTTAACGGTTGTATGCATTGGAAACTGCAAATCTAGAGTGTAGTAGAGAGTTTTGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGAAAACTTGGGCTATTACTGACGCTTATGCTCGAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATGGTAATTAAATGTTGGCATGGAATATGTCGGCGTTGCAGTTAACACATTAAATTACCCGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCGCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTCGACAATACACGTAAAACCTTACCTGGGTTTGACATCCTTTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAGTGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTGTTAGTTACTTTATCTAGCGAGACTGCCAGCGCAAGCTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATATCCAGGGCCGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAACTGTCGCAAACCAGTAATGGGAAGCCAATCAGAGAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCATGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGCCATGTCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACTATGAGAGCTGGTAATACCTAAAACCGTTAAGATAACCTCGTGAGTCTTGCGTCTAGGGTAGGACTGGTGATTGGAGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma iowae 695^T(Accession number: JN935877)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma iowae 695^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: Jordan, F.T.W., Ernø, H., Cottew, G.S., Hinz, K.H., Stipkovits, L. 1982. Characterization and taxonomic description of five mycoplasma serovars (serotypes) of avian origin and their elevation to species rank and further evaluation of the taxonomic status of Mycoplasma synoviae. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 32: 108-115.