Mycoplasma aquilae
(Spergser et al., 2025)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. gen. fem. n. aquilae – of an eagle of genus Aquila
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma aquilae (M. synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma paraquilae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.86%) (Fig. 1); part and eponym of the Mycoplasma aquilae species complex
Type strain
1449T (Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), Spain, 2002), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (1449T – Spain); 2 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposits per 01/02/2026)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
oxidation of organic acids (pyruvate, lactate); non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) and Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca)
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
commensal or possibly opportunist
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
so far isolated from one Spanish imperial eagle in Spain and from 3 Eastern imperial eagles in Austria
Diagnosis
cultivation and assignment to the Mycoplasma aquilae species complex by MALDI-ToF MS, subsequent identification by sequencing of the rpoB gene
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma aquilae 1449T within the M. synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae JT was used as out-group (M. hyopneumoniae cluster). Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap confidence values (1000 replications). Only values > 70% are shown. Bar, number of substitutions per nucleotide position. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
Mycoplasma aquilae 1449T
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTCTAGATTGGGATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATAAGAAACGCATGTTTCTTATATAAAAGGAGCCCTCAAGCTCCACTAGAAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAACGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGTCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATTTAGGATGAAAAAATAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTATCTTGACAGTACTAAATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTAGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTAACTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAACGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTCTTAGTTAAATGTTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma aquilae 1449T (Accession number: FM196532)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma aquilae 1449T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology and irregular margins. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)