Mycoplasma pulmonis
(Sabin, 1941; Freundt, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. pulmo – the lung, L. gen. n. pulmonis – of the lung
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma pulmonis (not part of a cluster), separated branch, related to Mycoplasma agassizii (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 90.06%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG34T (rat, USA, -1936), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
2 completed genomes (PG34T – USA; UAB CTIP – USA) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid – flask-shaped
Colony morphology
irregular fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
fermentation of glucose; non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
mice and rats
Habitat
respiratory tract, genital tract
Disease(s)
murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (MRM) in mice and rats with lesions such as suppurative rhinitis, otitis media, tracheitis, and bronchopneumonia, genital infection in rats and less frequently in mice characterized by purulent endometritis, salpingitis, and perioophoritis
Pathogenicity
known factors include EPS-I polysaccharides contributing to adhesion and enhancing resistance to phagocytosis, phase- and size-variable surface lipoproteins (Vsa) that affect adhesion-strength to eukaryotic cells and abiotic surfaces, resistance to complement and phagocytosis, cell growth, biofilm formation, and hemadsorption aside from their immune evasive role in adhesion and immune evasion, production of hydrogen peroxide, a hemolysin, secreted nucleases, a glycol-protease, and a peroxidase
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in conventionally kept mice and rat populations and wild rodents, less frequent in laboratory mice and rats; transmission by aerosol and the genital route, intrauterine transmission has been demonstrated
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR; detection of antibodies using immunoassays
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma pulmonis PG34T between the Bovis and Hyopneumoniae 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTATTAATTTATTAGTGCTTAGCGGCAAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTATTTAACCTACCTCAAAGACTGGGATAACAACAGGAAACTGTTGCTAATACCGGATATGTATTTAGATCGCATGATTTAGATATCAAAGGAGCGTTTGCTTCACTTTGAAATGGGAGTGCGTTACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGGCGATGATGTATAGCTGAGTTGAGAGACTGAACAGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGTGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAACTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAGCTTAGGGAGGAAATGCCCTAAGTATGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCACCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGGTGCAAGCGTTATCCGAAATTATTGGGTGTAAAGAGTTCGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCAGAAGTTAAATCCCGGGGCTCAACCCTGGCCCGCTTTTGATACTAGCAAACTAGAGTTATAAAGAGGTTAGTGGAATTCCTAGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGTGTAGATATTAGGAAGAACATCAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGTTATGTACTGACACTGAGGAACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGGTGGAATTTTTCACTAGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCACCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGACGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCCTTCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAATTACTACATTAAGTTGAGGACTTTAAAGATACTGACCAAGCAATTGGTAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGCCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAAGATGGTGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCGGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTTGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCAAAGTCGGTTTAGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACTGTCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma pulmonis PG34T (Accession number: NR_041744)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma pulmonis PG34T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 5 days of incubation exhibiting irregular fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)