Mycoplasma haliaeeti
(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. masc. n. haliaeeti – of an see eagle of genus Haliaeetus
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma haliaeeti (M. synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma aquilae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.72%) (Fig. 1); part of the Mycoplasma aquilae species complex
Type strain
VS42AT (White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Austria, 2020), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (VS42AT – Austria); 9 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
White-tailed eagle (Haliaeeti albicilla)
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
commensal or possibly opportunist
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated from several white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Austria and Germany, host-specific, never isolated from other birds of the Accipitridae family
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 haliaeeti VS42AT 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 haliaeeti VS42AT
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTCTAGATTGGGATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATAAGAAACGCATGTTTCTTATATAAAAGGAGCCCTCAAGCTCCACTAGAAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAACGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGTCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATTTAGGATGAAAAAATAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTATCTTGACAGTACTAAATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTAGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTAACTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAACGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCGAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTAAATATCCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma haliaeeti VS42AT (Accession number: PP693552)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma haliaeeti VS42AT 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)