Mycoplasma tracheobuteonis
(Kugler et al., 2026)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; Gr. fem. n. tracheia – windpipe, N.L. gen. n. buteonis – of Buteo, a bird genus; N.L. gen. n. tracheobuteonis – of the trachea of a buzzard (Buteo), referring to the site of isolation and principal host
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma tracheobuteonis (M. synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma haliaeeti (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.10%) (Fig. 1)
Type strain
48589BT (common buzzard - Buteo buteo, Germany, 2009), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (48589BT – Germany); nine draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposits per 01/06/2026)
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
common buzzard (Buteo buteo), rarely isolated from other birds of prey
Habitat
upper respiratory tract (trachea, choana)
Disease(s)
no disease reported, considered as commensal or opportunist
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated from birds of prey in Germany, Austria and Spain
Diagnosis
cultivation and species identification by MALDI-ToF MS, rpoB gene sequencing
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma tracheobuteonis 48589BT 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. neurolyticum 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 tracheobuteonis 48589BT
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTCTTAGATTGGGATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATAAGGAAGGCATCTTCCTTATATAAAAGGAGCTCTCAAGCTCCACTAGGAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAACGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGTCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATTTAGGATGAAAAAATAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTATCTTGACAGTACTAAATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTAGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTAACTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAACGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCGAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATCCTTAATTAAATTTCTTAAGGAGACTGCCCGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGCGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTTAAGGCAGAACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma tracheobuteonis 48589BT (Accession number: PZ033355)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma tracheobuteonis 48589BT on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)