Mycoplasma sphenisci

(Frasca et al., 2005)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. Spheniscus – a genus of penguins, N.L. gen. n. sphenisci – of Spheniscus

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma sphenisci (close to the Bovis cluster), effectively but not validly published, related to Mycoplasma lipophilum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 94.84%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

UCMJ^T (jackass penguin – Spheniscus demersus, USA, ≤2005), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

no genome published (per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid – flask-shaped

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology

Metabolism

hydrolysis of arginine; non-fermentative, non-urea-hydrolyzing

Host

jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

Habitat

upper respiratory tract

Disease(s)

unknown, isolated once from mucocaseous choanal discharge of a jackass penguin

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown, once isolated from an aquarium-kept jackass penguin

Diagnosis

cultivation and genetic species identification

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma sphenisci UCMJ^T close to 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 sphenisci UCMJ^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAACGCTGCTAGCAATAGCAGAGTGGCAAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTCTTAGATTGGTATAACGACCAGAAATGGTCGCTAATTCCAAATACTTGTATTTCTCGCATGAGAGATACATAAAAGGAGCTTTCAAGCTTCACTAAGAGATCGGGGTGCGCAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCTTGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAAGAGCTGTGGTAAGGGAAGAAAAAGTAGTATAGGAAATGATATTACCTTGACGGTACCTTACTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTGTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAACACGCGTTGGATACTGGCATACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAAAATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGACATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGCTGATGGGGGAACTTCGTCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTACTACATTAAGTTGAGGACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGGCGATACAAAGAGATGCAATATGGTGACATGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAATCGCTCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAACTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAACAAACTGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma sphenisci UCMJ^T(Accession number: NR_115318)

Species assigned by: Frasca Jr., S., Weber, E.S., Urquhart, H., Liao, X., Gladd, M., Cecchini, K., Hudson, P., May, M., Gast, R.J., Gorton, T.S., Geary, S.J. 2005. Isolation and characterization of Mycoplasma sphenisci sp. nov. from the choana of an aquarium-reared jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus). J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2976-2979.