Mycoplasma meleagridis
(Yamamoto et al., 1965)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. meleagris – a turkey, L. gen. n. meleagridis – of a turkey
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma meleagridis (Bovis cluster), related to Mycoplasma columbinum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.92%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
17529T (turkey, USA, 1969), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (17529T – USA); 3 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
primarily turkey, but has also been isolated from chicken
Habitat
respiratory tract, reproductive tract
Disease(s)
causes airsacculitis in young turkeys, sinusitis, skeletal abnormalities, poor growth, embryo mortality and reduced hatchability
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in turkeys; transmission by aerosol or the genital route
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR; detection of antibodies using immunoassays
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma meleagridis 17529T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGTTTTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCTTTTAGATTGGGATAGCAAGTGGAAACATTTGATAATACCGAATATGTATATTTTTCGCATGAAATTTATATGAAAGAAGCCTTTAAGCTTCGCTAAAAGAGCGGGGTGCGTAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCCCACCAAGGCAATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAAGCCTTATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAATAAATGAGGAAATGCATTTATCCTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCGACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAAGCGCGTTGGATACTGGCATACTAGAGTTACGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGCGTATACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGAAAATTCGTCGGCGCACGTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTCGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTACTAGCATTAAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAACTGGTGACAGGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAATTACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma meleagridis 17529T (Accession number: NR_025914)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma meleagridis 17529T 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)