Mycoplasma pullorum

(Jordan et al., 1982)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. pullus – a young chicken, L. gen. pl. n. pullorum – of young chickens

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma pullorum (Synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma ciconiae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 96.96%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

CKK^T (chicken, UK, -1979), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed (B359_6 – South Africa); 14 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit 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

primarily chicken, also isolated from turkey, pheasant, and partridge

Habitat

upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

unknown, considered to be a commensal

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

worldwide occurrence in chicken; transmission probably by aerosol

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma pullorum CKK^T within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae J^T was used as out-group (Hyopneumoniae 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 pullorum CKK^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCCTTTAGTTTGGGATAACGACTAGAAATGGTCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATGTTAATCGCATGATTAATATATAAAAGAAGCGTTTGCTTCGCTAGAGGATCGGGGTGCGTAACATTAGCTTGTTGGTGAGGTAAAGGCTCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGACGGCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAATCATAGAGGAAATGCTATGATCTTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCAGCAGCCGGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGTGTGAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATTGCATTGGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGACATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGGAACTCATCGGCGCCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATAACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCGCTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGCTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGTTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTAGATGATCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGCGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGGACGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAGACAGCGATGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCGTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTTGTTAACCACGGAGACAATCGCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma pullorum CKK^T(Accession number: NR_026017)

Fig. 3. Large colonies of Mycoplasma pullorum CKK^T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting small centered fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)

Species assigned by: Jordan, F.T.W., Ernø, H., Cottew, G.S., Hinz, K.H., Stipkovits, L. 1982. Characterization and taxonomic description of five mycoplasma serovars (serotypes) of avian origin and their elevation to species rank and further evaluation of the taxonomic status of Mycoplasma synoviae. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 32: 108-115.