Mycoplasma lipofaciens
(Bradbury et al., 1983)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; Gr. n. lipos – animal fat, L. part. adj. faciens – making, N.L. part. adj. lipofaciens – fat-making (referring to the production of a lipid film on solid media)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma lipofaciens (Bovis cluster), separated branch, related to Mycoplasma iners (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.17%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
R171T (chicken, UK, 1975), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (R171T – UK) (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
chicken, turkey, duck, probably also raptors
Habitat
upper respiratory tract including infraorbital sinus
Disease(s)
no natural disease reported, but a field strain caused embryo mortality in chicken and turkeys that have been infected experimentally; one study reported transmission to a veterinarian causing throat pain and a slight rhinitis
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 lipofaciens R171T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCCTTTAGATTGGGATAGCAAGTGGAAACATTTGATAATACCAAATACCTATCATTTTCGCATGAAGATGATACAAAAGGTCCGTTTGGACCGCTAAAGGATCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAAAGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGTCCTATGGATTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAACAGTATAGGAAATGATATTGTTCTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAATTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAACCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAGCTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAATTTGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGACATATACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTTTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATGGAGACATAGTCGAGGTTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTACTAACATTTAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACAAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCGAAATGGCGACATGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATTAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma lipofaciens R171T (Accession number: NR_025065)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma lipofaciens R171T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)