Mycoplasma sturni
(Forsyth et al., 1996)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. Sturnus – genus name of the starling, N.L. gen. n. sturni – of Sturnus
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma sturni (Synoviae cluster), related to Mycoplasma columborale (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 95.48%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
UCMFT (European starling – Sturnus vulgaris, USA, ≤1996), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (UCMFT – USA) (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-ureahydrolyzing
Host
passerine
Habitat
eye, upper respiratory tract
Disease(s)
occasionally associated with conjunctivitis, but commonly considered to be a commensal
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown, probably widespread in passerines (Passeriformes)
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma sturni UCMFT within the Synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae JT 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGAAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTGCCCCTTAGATTGGAATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATGCCGGATACTTATTAAGTTCGCATGAACTTAATATAAAAGGAGCGTTTGCTTCACTAAGGGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGAGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGTGCGATGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAAGCACTGTTATAAGGGAAGAAAAAGCAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTGCCTTGACGGTACCTTGTCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGACGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCAAGCTAGAGTTGTTTAGAGGTTAATGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATTTCCGAAAGGGATGAACTGGGAACACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATGATTAGTTGATGGTGACCATCGACGCGAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGGGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATCCTTAGTTAAATGTTCTAGGGAGACTGCCTGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGATGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATACGGCGACGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCATTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCATACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCACGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTTAACTACGGAAACGACCGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma sturni UCMFT (Accession number: NR_025968)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma sturni strain 1547 (isolated from the choana of an European starling) on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)