Mycoplasma opalescens

(Rosendal, 1975)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. opalus – opal, N.L. neut. adj. opalescens – opalescent (referring to the opalescent film produced on solid medium)

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma opalescens (Bovis cluster), separated branch, related to Mycoplasma primatum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 96.26%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

MH5408^T (dog, Denmark, ≤1972), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one draft genome (MH5408^T – Denmark) (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

domestic dogs

Habitat

throat

Disease(s)

unknow, no disease reported

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown, only rarely isolated from dogs

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma opalescens MH5408^T within the Bovis 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 opalescens MH5408^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGGTAGCAATACCTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCCTTCAGTTTGGGATAGCGGGTGGAAACATCCGATAATACCAAATACTTATTGTTTTCGCATGAAAATAATAGAAAAGGAGCGATTGCTTCGCTGGAGGATCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCCTATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGTGAAGAAAAAGTAGTGTAGGAAATGACATTACCTTGACGGTAGCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAACCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAGCTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAAAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGCATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATGGAGACATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTACTAACATTAAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGATACAAAGAGAAGCAAGATGGTGACATGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAGTCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma opalescens MH5408^T(Accession number: NR_025067)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma opalescens MH5408^T 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)

Species assigned by: Rosendal, S. 1975. Canine mycoplasmas: serological studies of type and reference strains, with a proposal for the new species, Mycoplasma opalescens. Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. B 83: 463-470.