Mycoplasma microti

(Brown et al., 2001)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. Microtus – a genus of field vole, N.L. gen. n. microti – of Microtus

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma microti (not part of a cluster), related to Mycoplasma iowae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 94.11%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

IL371^T (prairie vole – Microtus ochrogaster, USA, ≤1994), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

no genome published (per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

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

Host

prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)

Habitat

respiratory tract

Disease(s)

no disease reported in prairie voles but has shown to be pathogenic for laboratory mice and rats

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown, once isolated from 3 prairie voles of a colony in Illinois, USA

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma microti IL371^T between the Ureaplasma and Pneumoniae 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 microti IL371^T

CTAGCGGGATGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGAGGTGTTTACACCTAGTGGCGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCTAACATACCTTTTAGTGGGGGATAACTAGTCGAAAGATTAGCTAATACCGCATAATACATTACTATCGCATGAGAAAATGTTTAAAGTTGCGTTTGCAACGCTTTAAGATTGGGGTGCGGCGTATCAGATAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCTCACCAAGTCAATGACGCGTAGCTGTGCTGAGAGGCAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTTCTACGGAAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCAATCCCGCGTGAACGATGAAGGTCTTATATTGATTGTAAAGTTCTTTTATTGGAGACGAATTGCAAGGAGAGGAAATGCTCCTTGTTTGACTGTATCCATTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCATTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAGCGAGCGCAGGCGGATTTGCAAGTCTGGTGTTAAATGCAGCTGCTTAACGGTTGTATGCATTGGAAACTGCAAGTCTAGAGTGCAGTAGGGAGTTCTGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGAGAACTTGGACTGTAACTGACGCTTAGGCTCGAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATGGTAATTAAATGTCGGCACGGAATGTGTCGGTGTTGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATTACCCGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCGCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTCGACGATACACGTAAAACCTTACCCAGGTTTGACATCCTTTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAGTGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTGTTAGTTATCTTATCTAGTGAGACTGCCAGCGTAAGCTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCTTTATATCTGGGGCCGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAACTGTTGCCAACCCGTAAGGGGGAGCTAATCAGAGAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCATGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCCATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACTATGAGAGCTGGTAATACCTGAAACCGTTAGGCTAACCTCGTGAGGCTTGCGTCTAGGGTAGGACTGGTGATTGGAGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma microti IL371^T(Accession number: NR_025055)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma microti IL371^T on modified SP-4 agar after 7 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Brown, D.R., Talkington, D.F., Thacker, W.L., Brown, M.B., Dillehay, D.L., Tully, J.G. 2001. Mycoplasma microti sp. nov., isolated from the respiratory tract of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol 51: 409-412.