Mycoplasma synoviae
(Olson et al., 1964)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. synovia – the joint fluid, N.L. gen. n. synoviae – of a joint fluid
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma synoviae (Synoviae cluster), separated branch (Fig. 1)
Type strain
WVU 1853T (chicken, USA, ≤1957), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
21 completed (2 x WVU 1853T – USA; 2 x MS-H vaccine strain – Australia; HN01, FJ-01, 5-9, WF18, SD2, ZX313 – all China; 53 - Brazil; 2 x 86079-7NS, TS4, AB1 – all Australia; 18DW, 51SH, BS4S2, G3, A4, AS2 – all South Korea); 3 draft genomes (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-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
primarily chicken and turkey, but has also been isolated from waterfowl, pigeon, quail, pheasant, and passerine
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
infectious synovitis, subclinical respiratory disease including airsacculitis (often in combination with Newcastle disease), and eggshell apex abnormalities
Pathogenicity
factors largely unknown, known factors/mechanisms include variable lipoprotein hemagglutinins (vlhA genes) constituting cytadherence to host cells and responsible for immune evasion, sialidase activity, N-acetylneuraminate catabolism, cell invasion
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence in poultry (chicken, turkey); transmission horizontally by direct or indirect contact, mostly by aerosol (respiratory infection) or foot penetration (synovitis), egg transmission is also common
Diagnosis
cultivation (requires NAD for growth) and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR; detection of antibodies using immunoassays (rapid plate agglutination test, ELISA)
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAATTTAGCAATAAATTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTTTAGACTGGAATAACGGTGAGAAATTATCGCTAATGCCGGATATATAAAAAAATCGCATGATTTTTTTAAGAAAGAAGCGTTTGCTTCACTAAGAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCATGTTGGATGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGGCAATTATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGACTGAACCGCCACACTGGGACTAGAGATCGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGATGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCTTGATGGAGCAACACAGCGTGTAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTACTGTTATATGGGAAGAAAAACTAGTATAGGAAATGATATTAGCTTGACGGTACCATGTCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGTGTTAAAACTTGGAGCTCAACTCCAAATTGCATTGGATACTGGCAGACTAGAATTGTTTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGGAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACACCAACATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGAACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATGACTAGTTGATAGAAACCATCGACGCACGTAACGCATTAAGTCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTGTCCTTAGTTACTTTATCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGACGATACAAAGAGAAGCAAAATAGTGATATCAAGCAAATCTCAAAAAATTCGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTGTTAACTTCGGAGACGACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACCGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T (Accession number: NR_044811)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma synoviae WVU 1853T on modified SP-4 agar (supplemented with NAD) after 4 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)