Mycoplasma paraquilae
(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 and specific epithet of Mycoplasma aquilae, N.L. gen. fem. n. paraquilae – like Mycoplasma aquilae
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma paraquilae (M. synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma aquilae (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.86%) (Fig. 1); part of the Mycoplasma aquilae species complex
Type strain
654T (Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), Austria, 2008), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (654T – Austria); 11 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
predominantly Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) and Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti)
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
commensal or possibly opportunist
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated from several Eastern imperial eagles in Austria and from few Spanish imperial eagles in Spain (also singularly isolated from hooded vulture - Spain, and golden eagle - 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 paraquilae 654T 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 > 80% are shown. Bar, number of substitutions per nucleotide position. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
Mycoplasma paraquilae 654T
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTCTAGATTGGGATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATAAGAAACGCATGTTTTTTATATAAAAGGAGCCTTCAAGCTCCACTAGAAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAACGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGTCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATTTAGGATGAAAAAATAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTATCTTGACAGTACTAAATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTAGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTAACTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAACGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTCTTAGTTAAATGTTCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma paraquilae 654T (Accession number: PP693540)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma paraquilae 654T 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)