Ureaplasma zalophigenitalium
(Volokhov et al., 2019)
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. zalophus – genus name of the California sea lion, L. pl. n. genitalia – the genitals, N.L. pl. gen. n. zalophigenitalium – of the genitals of the California sea lion
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Ureaplasma – Ureaplasma zalophigenitalium (Ureaplasma cluster), closely related to Ureaplasma miroungigenitalium (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.93%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
CSL7644-GENT (California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), USA, 2008), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one draft genome (CSL7644-GENT – USA) (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
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
Habitat
genital tract
Disease(s)
unknown
Pathogenicity
factors unknown
Epidemiology
unknown, isolated from the genital tract of 5 male and female California sea lions in the USA
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by gene sequence analysis
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Ureaplasma zalophigenitalium CSL7644-GENT 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)
CTGGCGGCATGCCTAATACATGCAAATCGAACGAGGTTAGTTTACTAACCTAGTGGTGAACGGGTGAGTAACAAGTATCCAATCTGCCCTTAAGATGGGAATAACTGACCGAAAGGTTAGCTAATGCCCAATAATAACATTCTTATCGCATGAGAAAATGTAGAAAGACGCCTTTAAAGCGTCGCTTTTGGATGAGGGTGCTCCGTATCAGATAGTTGGTAGGGTAAAAGCCTACCAAGTCTATGACGCGTAGCTGTACTGAGAGGTAGAACAGCCACAATGGGACTGAGACACGGCCCATACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTTCACAATGGGCGCAAGCCTTATGAAGCAATGCCGCGTGAACGACGAAGGTCTTATAGATTGTAAAGTTCTTTTATTTGGGAAGAAACGTTATGATAGGAAATGATTATAACTTGACTGTACCTTTTGAATAAGTATCGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGATGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTTACTGGGCGTAAAACGAGCGCAGGCGGATCTGCAAGTTTGGTATTAAATCTATGTGCTCAACGCATAGCTGTATCAAAAACTGCAAATCTAGAGTGTAGTAGAGAGTTGGGGAACTCCATGTGGAGCGGTAAAATGCGTAGATATATGGAAGAACACCGGCGGCGAAGGCGCCAACTTAGACTAACACTGACGCTTAGGCTCGAAAGTGTGGGGATCAAATAGGATTAGATACCCTAGTAGTCCACACTGTAAACGATCATCATTAAATGTCGGCACGAACGTGTCGGTGTTGTAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATGTGCCTGGGTAGTACATTCGCAAGAATGAAACTCAAACGGAATTGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGTGGTGGAGCATGTTGCTTAATTTGACAATACACGTAAAACCTTACCTAGGTTTGACATCGATTGCAAAGCTATAGAAATATAGTAGAGGTTAACAATCTGACAGGTGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCCTTTCGTTAGTTATTTTTTAACGATACTGCTACTGCAAAGTAGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCCCTTATATCTAGGGCTGCAAACGTGCTACAATGGTTGAGACAAACTGCTGCAAAACTGTAAAGTCAAGCAAATCAGACAAAATCAATCTCAGTTCGGATAGAGGGCTGCAATTCGCCCTCTTGAAGTTGGAATCACTAGTAATCGCGAATCAGACATGTCGCGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACTATGGGAGCTGATAATATCTGAAACCGTACTGTTAACCGCAAGGAGGCATACGTCTAGGGTAGGATTGGTGACTGGAGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Ureaplasma zalophigenitalium CSL7644-GENT (Accession number: HQ377518)
Fig. 3. Tiny colonies of Ureaplasma zalophigenitalium CSL7644-GENT 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)