Ureaplasma diversum
(Howard & Gourlay, 1982)
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. neut. part. adj. diversum – diverse (referring to differences to Ureaplasma urealyticum and its heterogeneous antigenic profile)
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Ureaplasma – Ureaplasma diversum (Ureaplasma cluster), closely related to Ureaplasma gallorale and Ureaplasma canigenitalium (16S rRNA gene sequence similarities – 95.45 and 95.18%, respectively) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
A417T (cattle, UK, 1972), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (A417T – UK), one draft genome (also the type strain) (NCBI Genome deposit per 11/05/2024)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
small and flat colonies with fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
hydrolysis of urea; non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing
Host
cattle
Habitat
genital tract
Disease(s)
associated with granular vulvitis, endometritis, salpingitis, abortion, infertility, often asymptomatic carriership; occasionally reported to cause respiratory distress in calves
Pathogenicity
factors scarcely identified, proposed mechanisms include adhesion to and invasion into host cells, ammonia production via urease activity, hydrogen peroxide production, secretion of IgA proteases, and altering prostaglandin synthesis through phospholipase activity
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence; transmission via the genital route
Diagnosis
cultivation and genetic species identification; PCR
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Ureaplasma diversum A417T within the Ureaplasma 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATGCAAATCGAACGAAGCCTTTTTGGCTTAGTGGTGAACGGGTGAGTAACACGTATCCAATCTACCCTTAAGTTTGGGATAACTAGTCGAAAGATTAGCTAATACCGGATAATAACATTTACTTGCATGAGTGAATGTAGAAAGTTGCGTTTGCAACGCTTTTGGATGAGGGTGCGACGTATCAGATAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCTCACCAAGTCATTGACGCGTAGCTGTACTGAGAGGTAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTTATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAACGATGAAGGTCTATAAGATTGTAAAGTTCTTTTATTTGGGAAGAACCACTAAAATAGGAAATGATTTTAGTTTGACTGTACCATTTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAACGAGCGCAGGCGGATTTGTAAGTTTGGTATGAAATCTAGATGCTTAACGTCTAGCTGTATCAAAAACTACGAATCTAGAGTGTAGCAGAGAGTTGGGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCGGTGGCGAAGGCGCCAACTTGGACTATTCCCTGACGCTTAGGCTCGAAAGTGTGGGGAGCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACCGTAAACGATCATCATTAAATGTCGGCTCGCTTATGAGTCGGTGTTGTAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATGTGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCGCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTTGACAATACACGTAGAACCTTACCTAGGTTTGACATCTATTGCAATGCTATAGAAATATAGCGGAGGTTAACAATATGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTTTCGCTAGTTAATTTATCTATCGATACTGCTACCGCAAGGTAGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATATCTAGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTTAATACAAACAGTTGCAATACCGTAAGGTGGAGCGAATCTGATAAAGTTAGTCTCAGTTCGGATAGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCTTGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGACATGTCGCGGGGATTACGTCCTCGGGTCTGGTACACACCGCCCGCCAAACTATGGGAGCCGGTAATATCTGAAACCGTACTGTTAACCTTTGGGGGGGAATACGTCTAGGGTAGGATTGGGGACTGGAGTAAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Ureaplasma diversum A417T (Accession number: NR_025878)
Fig. 3. Small colonies of Ureaplasma diversum A417T on modified U4 agar after 7 days of incubation exhibiting fried egg morphology and producing a colour change of medium based on urea hydrolysis creating an alkaline pH. Note, Ureaplasma diversum strains form larger colonies than those produced by other members of genus Ureaplasma. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)