Mycoplasma auris sp. nov., Mycoplasma cottewii sp. nov., and Mycoplasma yeatsii sp. nov., New Sterol-Requiring Mollicutes from the External Ear Canals of Goats
Three mycoplasma strains, designated GIHT (T = type strain), UIAT, and VIST, were isolated from the external ear canals of goats and were shown to be serologically distinct from each other and from previously described Acholeplasma, Entomoplasma, Mesoplasma, and Mycoplasma species. Using light and transmission electron microscopy, we showed that the cells of these organisms were small, pleomorphic, coccoid, nonmotile, and nonhelical and that each cell was surrounded by a single cytoplasmic membrane. There was no evidence of a cell wall, and the organisms grew freely in media containing penicillin at concentrations of 1,000 U/ml or more and thallous acetate (final concentration, 1:4,000) and produced the “fried-egg” morphology typical of most mollicutes. Growth occurred both aerobically and anaerobically (as determined by the GasPak method). The ability to catabolize glucose and mannose and the ability to hydrolyze arginine varied among the three strains. AH three strains required sterol for growth, and none of the strains hydrolyzed urea. The guanine-plus-cytosine contents of the DNAs of strains UIAT, VIST, and GIHT were determined to be 26.9, 27.0, and 26.6 mol%, respectively. Our data indicate that the three strains represent new Mycoplasma species, for which we propose the names Mycoplasma auris, Mycoplasma cottewii, and Mycoplasma yeatsii. The type strain of M. auris is UIA (= ATCC 51348 = NCTC 11731), the type strain of M. cottewii is VIS (= ATCC 51347 = NCTC 11732), and the type strain of M. yeatsii is GIH (= ATCC 51346 = NCTC 11730).
Published Online:
Copyright 1994 International Union of Microbiological Societies
BreardA.,
MadyV.,
DedieuL.,
DaMassaA. J.,
PoumaratF.,
LefevreP. C.1992; A taxonomic study of the undetermined species Type G. IOM Lett. 2:241 (Letter.)
CottewG. S.1979; Caprine-ovine mycoplasmas. 103–132 In
TullyJ.G.,
WhitcombR.F.
(ed.) The mycoplasmas, vol. 2. Human and animal mycoplasmas Academic Press; New York:
Da MassaA. J.,
NascimentoE. R.,
KhanM. I.,
YamamotoR.,
BrooksD. L.1991; Characteristics of an unusual mycoplasma isolated from a case of caprine mastitis and arthritis with possible systemic manifestations. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 3:55–59
FreundtE. A.,
ErnoH.,
LemckeR. M.1979; Identification of mycoplasmas. 377–434 In
BergmanT.,
NorrisJ.R.
(ed.) Methods in microbiology Academic Press; London:
International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes1979; Proposal of minimal standards for descriptions of new species of the class Mollicutes. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 29:172–180
OwenR. J.,
PitcherD.1985; Current methods for estimating DNA base composition and levels of DNA-DNA hybridization. 67–93 In
GoodfellowM.,
MinnikinD E.
(ed.) Chemical methods in bacterial systematics Academic Press; London:
RoseD. L.,
TullyJ. G.,
BoveJ. M.,
WhitcombR. F.1993; A test for measuring growth responses of mollicutes to serum and polyoxyethylene sorbitan. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 43:527–532
SaglioP.,
LhospitalM.,
LaflècheD.,
G.Dupont,
BovéJ. M.,
TullyJ. G.,
FreundtE. A.1973; Spiroplasma citri gen. and sp. nov.: a mycoplasma-like organism associated with “Stubborn” disease of citrus. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 23:191–204
TaylorT. K.,
BashiruddinJ. B.,
GouldA. R.1992; Application of a diagnostic DNA probe for the differentiation of the two types of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides. Res. Vet. Sci. 53:154–159
TullyJ. G.,
BoveJ. M.,
LaigretF.,
WhitcombR. F.1993; Revised taxonomy of the class Mollicutes: proposed elevation of a monophyletic cluster of arthropod-associated mollicutes to ordinal rank (Entomoplasmatales ord. nov.), with provision for familial rank to separate species with nonhelical morphology (Entomoplas-mataceae fam. nov.) from helical species (Spiroplasmataceae), and emended descriptions of the order Mycoplasmatales, family Mycoplasmataceae. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 43:378–385
Mycoplasma auris sp. nov., Mycoplasma cottewii sp. nov., and Mycoplasma yeatsii sp. nov., New Sterol-Requiring Mollicutes from the External Ear Canals of Goats