Ureaplasma cati
(Harasawa et al., 1990)
Etymology
N.L. fem. n. urea – urea, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Ureaplasma – urea form referring to a form that utilizes urea; L. n. cattus – a cat, L. gen. n. cati – of a cat
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Ureaplasma – Ureaplasma cati (Ureaplasma cluster), closely related to Ureaplasma felinum (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 97.85%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
F2T (cat, Japan, ≤1979), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
no genome published (per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
tiny and flat colonies, branched or with fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
hydrolysis of urea; non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing
Host
domestic cat
Habitat
oropharynx
Disease(s)
unknown, considered to be a commensal
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown, less common in domestic cats than Ureaplasma felinum; transmission by oral contact
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by gene sequence analysis
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic positions of Mycoplasma agalactiae PG2T within the Bovis 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATCCAAATCGAACGAAGCCTTTTAGGCTTAGTGGTGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCCAATCTACCCTTAAGTTAGGGATAACTAGTCGAAAGATTAGCTAATACCCAATAATAACATTTGATTGCATGATTGAATGTAGAAAGTCGCGTTTGCGACGCTTTTGGATGAGGGTGCGACGTATCAGATAGTTGGTGAGGTAATGGCTCACCAAGTCAATGACGCGTAGCTGTACTGAGAGGTAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTTATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAACGATGAAGGTCTTATAGATTGTAAAGTTCTTTTATTTGGGAAGAAATGTTAAGATAGGAAATGATTTTAACTTGACTGTACCATTTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAACGAGCGCAGGCGGGTCTACAAGTTTGGTATTAAATCTAGATGCTCAACGTCTAGCTGTATCAAAAACTGTAAACCTAGAGTGTAGTAGGGAGTTGGGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCGGTGGCGAAGGCGCCAACTTAGACTATCCACTGACGCTTAGGCTCGAAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATGATCATTAAATGTCGGCCCGGAATGGGTCGGTGTTGTAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCTGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCCCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGCATTGACGGGGAGCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTTGACAATACACGTAGAACCGTACCTAGGTTTGACATCTATTGCAATGTTATAGAAATATAACGGAGGTTAACAATATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTTTCGTTAGTTAATTTTACCATCGATACTGCTCTGCAAAGTAGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATATCTAGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTTAATACAAAGTGTCGCTACTTCGTAAGAAGATGCCAATCACATAAAGTTAGTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCATGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGACATGTCGCGGGGATTACGTCCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGCCAAACTATGGGAGCTGGTAATATCTAAAACCGTATTGTTAACCGTAAGGAGGGGTACGTATAGGGTAGGATTGGGGATTGGGGTAAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Ureaplasma cati F2T (Accession number: NR_115604)
Fig. 3. Tiny colonies of Ureaplasma cati F2T produced on U4 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 urea creating an alkaline pH. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)