Mycoplasma phocirhinis
(Giebel et al., 1991)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. phoca – a seal, Gr. n. rhis – the nose, N.L. gen. n. phocirhinis – of the nose of a seal (corrected by Heldtander Königsson et al., 2001)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma phocirhinis (Bovis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma californicum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.30%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
852T (harbor seal – Phoca vitulina, Germany, 1988), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (852T – Germany) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
oxidation of organic acids (pyruvate, lactate); non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
pinnipeds including harbor seal, grey seal and common seal
Habitat
primarily nasal cavity but also the respiratory tract
Disease(s)
considered a secondary pathogen potentially aggravating viral infections
Pathogenicity
factors largely unknown, adhesion and cytotoxicity to epithelial cells have been demonstrated, carries protein M which binds the light chain region of host IgG to block antigen-specific binding which may enable immune evasion or modulation of intercurrent viral infections
Epidemiology
has been isolated from pinnipeds in Germany, United Kingdom, USA, and Canada
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma phocirhinis 852T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAGCGAAGTACTTGTACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCCTTCAGTTTGGAATAGCAGTTGGAAACAGCTGATAATACCAAATACTTATTTTAATCGCATGATTAAAATATAAAAGGTGCCTTAAAGCATCGCTGGAGGAGCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCTCACCAAGGCCATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGACGGCCCCATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTAAGGGAATAAAAAATAGTGTAGGAAATGCCACTATATTGAATGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAACCGCGTTGGATACTGGTAAACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAAGATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGACATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCGTCGGCACAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATTCTTAGTTACTAACATTTAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGAAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCAGTACAAAGTGAAGCAACCTGGTGACAGTGAGCAAACCACAAAAAACTGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATTAACAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma phocirhinis 852T (Accession number: NR_025134)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma phocirhinis 852T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)