Mycoplasma bovis
(Hale et al., 1962; Askaa & Erno, 1976)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; L. n. bos – the ox, L. gen. n. bovis – of the ox
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma bovis (Bovis cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma agalactiae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.17%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
PG45T (cow, USA, 1961), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
48 completed (PG45T – USA; Hubei-1, HB0801 (+ passages -P115, -P150, -P180), CQ-W70, 08M, Ningxia-1, 16M, NM 2012, XBY01, Tibet-10 (yak) – all from China; JF4278 – Switzerland; NADC18, NADC51, NADC53, NADC54, NADC55, NADC56, NADC57, NADC58, NADC59, NADC61, NADC62, NADC67, NADC68, NADC70, NADC72, NADC81, NADC83 (bison), MJ1, MJ2, MJ3, MJ4, Mb1, Mb160, Mb191, Mb300 (cattle) – all from Canada; J6, J81, J137, J228, J279 – Spain; RM16 – France; KRB1 (mule deer) – USA; Bowen_QLD_AUS_ 1993, Willowbank_QLD_AUS_2001 – both Australia; 195 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 17/04/2022)
48 completed (PG45T – USA; Hubei-1, HB0801 (+ passages -P115, -P150, -P180), CQ-W70, 08M, Ningxia-1, 16M, NM 2012, XBY01, Tibet-10 (yak) – all from China; JF4278 – Switzerland; NADC18, NADC51, NADC53, NADC54, NADC55, NADC56, NADC57, NADC58, NADC59, NADC61, NADC62, NADC67, NADC68, NADC70, NADC72, NADC81, NADC83 (bison), MJ1, MJ2, MJ3, MJ4, Mb1, Mb160, Mb191, Mb300 (cattle) – all from Canada; J6, J81, J137, J228, J279 – Spain; RM16 – France; KRB1 (mule deer) – USA; Bowen_QLD_AUS_ 1993, Willowbank_QLD_AUS_2001 – both Australia; 195 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposit per 17/04/2022)
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
highly adapted to cattle, buffaloes and bison; occasionally isolated from sheep, goats, swine, deer, chicken
Habitat
respiratory tract, udder
Disease(s)
calf pneumonia, ‘cuffing’ pneumonia, bovine respiratory disease – BRD (multifactorial), mastitis, arthritis, otitis media, keratoconjunctivitis, genital disorders
Pathogenicity
known pathogenicity factors are adhesins (Vpmax, enolase, TrmFO, Nox, P19 ortholog), NADH oxidase (Nox) – production of hydrogen peroxide, a family of phase- and size-variable membrane surface lipoproteins (Vsp) with roles in adhesion and immune evasion, putative IgG-protease (MIP-MIB system), invasion in circulating immune cells, erythrocytes and epithelial cells, biofilm formation, P48 and other yet unidentified immunomodulins and immunosuppressors
Epidemiology
worldwide occurrence; horizontal transmission by aerosol, milk, semen; vertical transmission from dam to fetus/neonate; commonly introduced into herds by apparently healthy carrier animals; climatic changes, overcrowding, commingling and translocation may trigger infection
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, serology or genetically; PCR; detection of antibodies using immunoassays for herd testing
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma bovis PG45T 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)
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGATGATAGCAATATCATAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTCAACGTACCTTTTAGATTGGGATAGCGGATGGAAACATCCGATAATACCGAATACTTATTATTTTTGCATGAAAGTAATATAAAAGGAAGCGTTTGCTTCGCTAAAAGATCGGAGTGCGCAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTGAGGTAACGGCCCACCAAGGCGATGATGTTTAGCGGGGTTGAGAGATTGATCCGCCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTCCACAATGGACGAAAGTCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCCTATGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTGGTTAGGGAAGAAAAAGTAGCATAGGAAATGATGCTACCTTGACGGTACCTGATTAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGAAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTTGTTAAGTCTGGCGTTAAATTTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAAACGCGTTGGATACTGGCAGACTAGAGTTATGTAGAGGTTAGCGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAATATGGCGAAGGCAGCTAACTGGGCATACACTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGATCATTAGTTGATGGGGAACTCATCGACGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATGATCCGCCTGAGTAGTACGTTCGCAAGAATAAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGACATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTACTACCATTTAGTTGAGCACTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGAGTAATCGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGACGGTACAAAGAGAAGCGAAGTGGTGACATGGAGCAAACCTCAAAAAACCGTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGAAGTCTGCAACTCGACTTCATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCAAACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTATAAAGAAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTTAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma bovis PG45T (Accession number: NR_102850)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma bovis PG45T on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)