Mycoplasma zalophi
(Haulena et al., 2006)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. n. Zalophus – a genus of sea lions, N.L. gen. n. zalophi – of Zalophus
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma zalophi (Hominis cluster), effectively but not validly published, related to Mycoplasma gypis (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 94.56%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
CSL4296T (California sea lion – Zalophus californianus, USA, 1999), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
3 draft genomes (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
pinnipeds including California sea lion and Australian fur seal
Habitat
oropharynx, respiratory tract
Disease(s)
unknown, has been isolated once from an arthritic joint and skin infections (subdermal abscesses) of several California sea lions
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown, isolated from California sea lions brought to a rehabilitation center in California, USA, and in fur seals in Australia
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS or genetically
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma zalophi CSL4296T close to 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAACGAGTAGCTTGCTACTAGTGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTGCTTAATCTGCCTTTTAGATTGGGATAACAAACGGAAACGTTTGCTAATACCGGATATGTAATATATTCGCATGAATTTATTATGAAAGGAGCTTTACGGCTTCACTAAAAGATGAGGGCGCGGAACATTAGTTAGTTGGTAGGGTAATGGCCTACCAAGACTATGATGTTTAGCCGGGTTGAGAAACTGAACGGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCACGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAAGTGCTGTTATTGGGGAAGAACACTAAAAAGAGGAAATGCTTTTTAGCTGACGGTACCCAATCAGAAAGCGATGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTCGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTTCGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGTGTCAAAGCCCGGGGCTCAACCCCGGTATGCATTAGATACTGACAAACTAGAATTAGATAGAGGTAAGCGGAATTCCATGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCAAAGGCGAAGGCAGCTTACTGGGTCTATATTGACACTGAGGGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCTGTAAACGATGATCATTAGTCGGTGGATGATTCACTGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGACTCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGGAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCCGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACGGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTAGGTTAAGTCCTATAACGAGCGCAACCCCTATTTTTAGTTACTAACAGGTTATGCTGAGGACTCTAGAAATACTGCCTGGGTAACCAGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGTCGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATACGGTGACGTGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAGCCGATCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGCAAATCAGCAACGTTGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGAGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGCCGGTTAGTTAACTTCGGAGACGACTGTCTAAGGTAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma zalophi CSL429T (Accession number: DQ530426)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma zalophi strain 899 (isolated from the oral cavity of a California sea lion) 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)