Mycoplasma spumans
(Edward, 1955)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. part. adj. spumans – foaming (referring to thick dark markings (globules) inside colonies)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma spumans (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma neophronis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 98.83%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG13T (dog, UK, 1967), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (PG13T – UK) (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
domestic dog
Habitat
genital tract, respiratory tract
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal, once isolated from the joints of a greyhound with polyarthritis
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in domestic dogs
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma spumans PG13T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAGGTTTCTTTCGGGAAACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAATCTGCCCTTCAGATTGGAATACCCAATGGAAACATTGGCTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAATCGCATGATTCCGTTGTGAAAGGGGCCTTTAAAGCCCCACTGAAGGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAACACTCAGAGGAGGAAATGCCTTTGAGCTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGAGTCAAATCCCGGGGCTCAACCCCGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGATAAACTAGAGTTAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGAGTTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACACGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTCATGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCCGGGTAACCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACCGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma spumans PG13T (Accession number: NR_024980)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma spumans PG13T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Note, colour change of solid medium from ochre to reddish based on release of ammonia resulting from hydrolysis of arginine creating an alkaline pH. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)