Mycoplasma razini
(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. razini – of Razin, named after Prof. Shmuel Razin (1929-2021) in honour of his pioneering and ground-breaking contributions to mycoplasma research
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma razini (M. synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma haliaeeti and M. milvi (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.65%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
005VT (Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), Spain, 2005), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (005VT – Spain); 4 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
various birds within the Accipitridae family
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
commensal or possibly opportunist
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated from a booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), a cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), a short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus), and Bonelli’s eagles (Aquila fasciata) in Spain
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS or by sequencing the rpoB gene
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma razini 005VT 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 razini 005VT
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTCTAGATTGGGATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATAAGAAACGCATGTTTTTTATATAAAAGGAGCCTCTAAAGCTCCACTAGAAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAACGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGTCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATTTAGGATGAAAAAATAATAGAGGAAATGCTATTATCTTGACAGTACTAAATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTAGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTAACTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAACGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAGTTAAATATCCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma razini 005VT (Accession number: MK615070)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma razini 005VT on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology, a granulated surface, and irregular margins. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)