Mycoplasma struthionis

(Spergser et al., 2020)

Etymology

Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. struthio – genus name of the ostrich, L. gen. n. struthionis – of an ostrich

Taxonomy

Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma struthionis (Hominis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma neophronis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.39%) (Fig. 1)

Type strain

237IA^T (ostrich – Struthio camelus, Namibia, 2005), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)

Genomes

one completed (237IA^T – Namibia); one draft genome (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)

Cell morphology

spherical – coccoid – flask-shaped

Colony morphology

fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)

Metabolism

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

Host

ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Habitat

respiratory tract

Disease(s)

associated with respiratory disease and disorders

Pathogenicity

factors unknown

Epidemiology

unknown, has been isolated from ostriches in South Africa and Namibia

Diagnosis

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

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma struthionis 237IA^T within the Hominis 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 struthionis 237IA^T

CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGGGTTTTTTAAACCTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCTTTTAGATTGGAATACCTGATGGAAACATTAGTTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAATCGCATGATTCCGTTGTGAAAGGGGCCTCAAAGCCCCACTAAGAGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGTCTTCGGATTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATAAGGGAAGAACATTCAGAAGAGGAAATGCTTTTGAACTGACGGTACCTTATCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGAGTCAAATCCCGGGGCTCAACCCCGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGCAAACTAGAGTTGGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGGGAACTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACACGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTTAAGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCCACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGGAGTCTGCAATTCGACTCCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTATGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACCGCTCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT

Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma struthionis 237IA^T(Accession number: FM165077)

Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma struthionis 237IA^T 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)

Species assigned by: Spergser, J., Botes, A., Nel, T., Ruppitsch, W., Lepuschitz, S., Langer, S., Ries, S., Dinhopl, N., Szostak, M., Loncaric, I., Busse, H.-J. Mycoplasma nasistruthionis sp. nov. and Mycoplasma struthionis sp. nov. isolated from ostriches with respiratory disease. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 43: 126047.