Mycoplasma phocoenae
(Volokhov et al., 2022)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. gen. n. phocoenae – of the harbour porpoise of genus Phocoena
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma phocoenae (Hominis cluster), related to Mycoplasma gypis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 93.87%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
C264-GENT (harbour porpoise - Phocoena phocoena, USA, 2008), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (C264-GENT – USA) (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
harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Habitat
genital tract
Disease(s)
no diseases reported
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated once from the genital tract of a male harbour porpoise at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, USA
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, PCR; rpoB gene sequencing
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma phocoenae C264-GENT within the Hominis 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)
GGATTAACGCTGGCTGTGTGCTTAATACATGCATGTCGAACGAGTAGCTTGCTACTAGTGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCCTAATCTACCTTTCAGATTGGGATAACAAGCGGAAACGCTTGCTAATACCGGATACGCAATAATCTCGCATGAGAATGTTGTAAAAGGGGCGCTTGCCCCACTGGAAGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAAGGAATATTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGCCCTCGGGTCGTAAAGTGCTGTTGTTAGGGAAGAACACTTAGTGGAGGAAATGCCACTAAGCTGACGGTACCTAACCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGTTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGTGTTAAAGCCCGGGGCTCAACTCCGGTTTGCATCAGATACTGGTAAACTAGAATGAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATATTGACACTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTAGGTAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCTACGCTGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAGTTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACTCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGCGGAGGCTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCGATAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATTTTCAGTTAATAACAGATAGAGCTGATAACTCTGGAAATACTGCCTGGGTAACCAGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCGACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGATACAAAGAGACGCAATATAGTGATATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAATCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTAGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGACATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGAGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGATAATGCCCGAAGCCGGTTTGTTAACTTCGGAGACGACTGTCTAAGGTAGGATTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGTATCCCTACGAGAACGTGGGGATGGATCACCTCCTTT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma phocoenae C264-GENT (Accession number: GU905021)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma phocoenae C264-GENT on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
Species assigned by: Volokhov, D.V., Furtak, V.A., Blom, J., Zagorodnyaya, T.A., Gao, Y., Gulland, F.M. 2022. Mycoplasma miroungirhinis sp. nov. and Mycoplasma miroungigenitalium sp. nov., isolated from northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), Mycoplasma phocoenae sp. nov., isolated from harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and Mycoplasma phocoeninasale sp. nov., isolated from harbour porpoise and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 72: 005224.