Mycoplasma subdolum
(Lemcke & Kirchhoff, 1979)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. neut. adj. subdolum – deceptive (referring to a deceptive colour change leading to the erroneous description that the organism is urea hydrolysing)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma subdolum (Hominis cluster), related to Mycoplasma faucium and Mycoplasma buccale (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.31 and 97.01%, respectively) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
TBT (horse, Germany, -1973), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (TBT – Germany); one draft genome (again the type strain) (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
horse
Habitat
genital tract
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal
Pathogenicity
factors unknown, expresses phase- and size-variable antigens on its surface
Epidemiology
unknown; transmission by genital route
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma subdolum TBT 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAAGTAGCAATACTTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTACCTCTTAGATTGGAATATCCAATGGAAACATTGGTTAATGCCGGATACGCATGGAATCGCATGATTCCGTTGTGAAAGGGGCGTTTGCCCCGCTAAGAGATGAGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTCGAGAGACTGAACGGCCACATTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAAACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGAGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCGACACAGTGTGAACGATGACGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAAGTTCTGTTGTGAGGGAAGAACACTTGGCTTAGGAAATGAGGCCAAGCTGACGGTACCTTATTAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGCTGTTTATTAAGTCTGGAGTCAAATCCCAGGGCTCAACCCTGGCTCGCTTTGGATACTGGTAAACTAGAGTTAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTTTATACTGACGCTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGAGCATTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCCTTCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAGTGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTTGGTCAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTGTCTTTAGTTACTAACGAGTCATGTCGAGGACTCTAGAGATACTGCCTGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATACGGTGACGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAGATCAGCTACGCTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATACCCAAAGTCGGTTTGCTAACCTCGGAGGCGACTGCCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma subdolum TBT (Accession number: NR_024981)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma subdolum TBT 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)