Ecology of Spiroplasmas

Vignault²,

Tully

et al. 1993

Spiroplasma strain CN-ST (T = type strain), isolated from the gut of the cetoniine scarabaeid beetle Cotinus nitidiz, was serologically distinct from other spiroplasma species, groups, and subgroups. Cells of strain CN-ST were shown by light microscopy to be helical, motile filaments. Cells in early passages exhibited strong translational motility that tended to be lost in later passages. Electron microscopy showed that the cells were bounded by a single cytoplasmic membrane with no evidence of a cell wall. The organism was not susceptible to penicillin. Strain CN-ST grew well in SM-1, MlD, and SP-4 liquid media and on solid SP-4 medium under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The doubling time at 30"C, the optimum temperature, was 4.3 h. The strain also grew in 1% serum fraction medium. Strain CN-ST produced acid from glucose and catabolized arginine, but did not hydrolyze urea. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 29 f 1 mol%. The genome size was 1,770 kb (1,186 MDa). Other uncloned isolates obtained from C. nitida or the cetoniine hermit flower beetle Osmoderma eremicola exhibited similar or identical serological patterns. Since no other hosts were discovered in extensive studies, strain CN-ST (previously designated group IX) appears to represent a cluster of relatively host-specific cetoniine beetle-associated strains. Strain CN-5 (= ATCC 33827) is designated the type strain of a new species, Spiroplasma clarkii.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Spiroplasma clarkii sp. nov. from the Green June Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Vignault²,

Tully

et al. 1993

“…It is also possible that genetic manipulation could produce a specific pathogen. On the other hand, the wide occurrence of group XVI spiroplasmas in the insect world (13,20), together with a possibility that they may be acquired from plant surfaces by the activities of adult insects (27), may present environmental concerns if the spiroplasmas are used for biological control. Much more needs to be learned about the biological specificity of spiroplasma serotypes of biting insects, including those occurring in tabanid flies (14,16,25,35).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spiroplasma cantharicola sp. nov., from Cantharid Beetles (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

Chastel²,

Abalain-Colloc³

et al. 1993

Spiroplasma strain CC-lT, isolated from the gut of the soldier beetle Cantharis carulinus, was serologically distinct from other spiroplasma species, groups, and subgroups. Cells of strain CC-lT were shown by light microscopy to be helical, motile filaments. Electron microscopy showed that the cells were bounded by a single cytoplasmic membrane, with no evidence of a cell wall. The organism was insensitive to penicillin. Strain CC-lT grew well in SM-1, MlD, and SP-4 liquid media under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The strain also grew in 1% serum fraction medium. Optimal growth occurred at 32"C, with a doubling time of 2.6 h, but the strain multiplied at temperatures of 10 to 37°C. Strain CC-lT produced acid from glucose but hydrolyzed neither arginine nor urea. The guanine-plus-cytosine (G+C) content of the DNA was 26 f 1 mol%. Other uncloned isolates from C. carolinus exhibited similar or identical serological patterns. On the basis of the data presented here, strain CC-lT (= ATCC 43207), previously proposed as the representative strain of subgroup XVI-1, is designated the type strain of a new species, Spiroplasma cantharicolu.In 1982, adults of the soldier beetle, Cantharis carolinus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), were found to harbor spiroplasmas in the gut but not in the hemolymph. Strain CC-lT, derived from one of five isolates, was chosen as a representative of the cluster, which was designated group XVI (33) and, more recently, subgroup XVI-1 (1, 4). This group, however, eventually turned out to be complex and to contain organisms not only from beetles but from mosquitoes and flowers also. Abalain-Colloc and colleagues (1,4) characterized group XVI spiroplasmas by serology, DNA-DNA homology, and polyacxylamide gel electrophoresis, and proposed recognition of three subgroups. In this classification, the cluster of spiroplasma strains and isolates from C. carolinus was designated subgroup XVI-1. Chaste1 and his colleagues, in 1985, discovered (11) a large assemblage of serologically diverse spiroplasma strains in mosquitoes in France that partially cross-reacted with strain CC-lT. These spiroplasmas were later designated subgroup XVI-3 (1,4). In 1983, an apparently unrelated strain (CB-1) had been isolated from the gut of a Cantharis bilineatzm adult. Although minor reciprocal cross-reactivities between the two strains were observed when the strains were compared by metabolism inhibition, deformation, and growth inhibition serology, the two strains were at first regarded (unpublished data) as representatives of separate spiroplasma groups. However, studies of Shaikh et al. (28) on spiroplasma carriage by mosquitoes in Alabama revealed a strain, AEF-2, that showed substantial cross-reactivity between strains CC-lT and CB-1, indicating that strains CC-lT and CB-1 belonged to a single spiroplasma group. Strain CB-1 was subsequently assigned to subgroup XVI-2 (1,4). In this paper, we describe taxonomic studies on strain CC-lT (subgroup XVI-1 of * Corresponding author.

“…Strain MQ-lT and its allies have the smallest genomes known in the genus Spiroplasma. Strain MQ-1 (= ATCC 33825) is designated the type strain of a new species, Spirophsma monobiae.The genus Spiroplasma (36), originally thought to consist of plant pathogens (22), was later shown, largely through the efforts of T. B. Clark and his associates (7,15), to be associated with arthropods. As the immense diversity of this genus unfolded, numerous interesting properties emerged.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spiroplasma monobiae sp. nov. from the Vespid Wasp Monobia quadridens (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Tully

Rose

et al. 1993

Spiroplasma strain MQ-lT (T = type strain) from the hemolymph of the vespid wasp Monobia quadridens differed serologically from other spiroplasma species, groups, and subgroups. Cells of strain MQ-lT were helical and motile and possessed a single cytoplasmic membrane, with no evidence of a cell wall. The organism grew in conventional mycoplasma medium, in serum fraction, SM-1, MlD, and SP-4 liquid media, and on SP-4 solid medium in either aerobic or anaerobic environments. The optimum temperature for growth was 32"C, but multiplication occurred over a wide temperature range (10 to 37°C). The doubling time at 32°C in M1D medium was 1.9 h. Strain MQ-lT catabolized glucose but hydrolyzed neither arginine nor urea. Previous work showed that strain MQ-lT has a unique methylase, previously known only in eucaryotes. Also, strain MQ-lT induces production of tumor necrosis factor in bone marrow macrophages. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 28 f 1 mol%. The genome size of strain MQ-lT was 940 kb (627 MDa); a similar strain, MQ-8, had a genome size of 985 kb (657 MDa). Strain MQ-lT and its allies have the smallest genomes known in the genus Spiroplasma. Strain MQ-1 (= ATCC 33825) is designated the type strain of a new species, Spirophsma monobiae.The genus Spiroplasma (36), originally thought to consist of plant pathogens (22), was later shown, largely through the efforts of T. B. Clark and his associates (7,15), to be associated with arthropods. As the immense diversity of this genus unfolded, numerous interesting properties emerged. For example, group I organisms (2) were the only spiroplasmas found to be associated with plant disease or with plant-sucking bugs. Yet, the subgroup 1-2 spiroplasma, Spiroplasma melliferum (8), which was closely related to the plant spiroplasmas, was primarily associated with bees. One subgroup of this cluster (subgroup I-6), which appears to occur in the insect-plant surface habitat (15), had a guanineplus-cytosine (G+C) content that was higher than the G+C contents of its cohort subgroups (5). Another spiroplasma (subgroup I-4), isolated only once, appeared to be associated with ticks. Group I1 spiroplasmas (34) produced sex ratio abnormalities in Drosophila flies. Group 111 spiroplasmas (9) (Spiroplasma jloricola) proved to be associated with magnoliaceous flowers and their beetle and fly visitors and to have idiosyncratic metabolic pathways (6) that were readily studied because of the rapid growth of the species. Group IV appeared to be a widely distributed cluster of spiroplasmas, some of whose members, including type strain B31 (Spiroplasma apis), were pathogenic (19, 20) for honeybees @pis mellifera). Groups V (Spiroplasma mirum [30]) and VI (29) were associated with ticks. Thus, each of the first six established spiroplasma groups appeared to possess unusual biological and/or ecological properties.For some time, the group VII spiroplasmas, strain MQ-lT (T = type strain) and its allies, appeared to be exceptions to the emerging uniqueness of newly discovered strains. H...