Mycoplasma cloacale, a New Species Isolated from a Turkey

Abstract

A mycoplasma designated strain 383T (T = type strain) was isolated from the cloaca of a turkey poult. After examination of its morphological, physical, and cultural properties this organism was assigned to the class Mollicutes, order Mycoplasmatales. The base composition of its deoxyribonucleic acid was 26.0 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Strain 383T was dependent on sterol for growth and was inhibited by digitonin, Since it gave no evidence of helical forms or of urea hydrolysis, it was assigned to the family Mycoplusmataceae, genus Mycoplasma. This organism hydrolyzed arginine and reduced triphenyltetrazolium chloride under anaerobic condifions, but other biochemical tests were negative. Strain 383T could not be identified as any of 83 currently accepted Mycoplasma species or serovars by growth inhibition, immunofluorescence, immunodiffusion, or metabolism inhibition tests. Thus, this mycoplasma appears to be a new species, for which we propose the name Mycoplasma cloacale; the type strain is strain 383 (= NCTC 10199 = ATCC 35276).A series of investigations in our laboratory (17; Forrest and Bradbury, Rev. Infect. Dis. 4:S272, 1982) identified the presence in domestic poultry of mycoplasmas which are distinct from the previously recognized avian species. Two such isolates from chickens have recently been established as new Mycoplasma species (5, 9).In this paper we describe the characteristics of a third mycoplasma, strain 383T (T = type strain), which was isolated from a turkey, by using the methods recommended by the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes (16) in order to establish whether an isolate represents a new mycoplasma species. MATERIALS AND METHODSMycoplasma strains. The strains studied are shown in Table 1, Strain 383T was isolated from the cloaca of a turkey poult in 1975. Reference strains of 74 currently accepted mycoplasma species or serovars were obtained from the sources described previously (5). The two new avian species, Mycoplasma lipofaciens ( 5 ) and Mycoplasma glycophilum (9), were also included, and additional species (and appropriate antisera) were obtained as follows: Media, cultivation, and purification methods. The media used to propagate most of these strains have been described previously (5). The additional species used in this study were grown in our routine medium (4). Mycoplasma faucium, Mycoplasma sualvi, and M . muris cultures were incubated anaerobically, and all other cultures were incubated in a candle jar. Attempts to grow M . fastidiosum and M . genitalium in a number of different medium formulations were unsuccessful. Strain 383T was filter-cloned three times, and this cloned culture and its antiserum was used in all tests * Corresponding author. unless otherwise indicated. A second clone was prepared from the original isolate by the same procedure.Characterization studies. Strain 383T was examined by the methods used for M . lipofaciens ( 5 ) . These included morphological studies on colonies, examination of cells ...

Isolation ofMycoplasma gallisepticumfrom geese

“…Gaillard-Perrin et al (1983) reported finding M. anatis and untyped mycoplasmas in geese, in South-west France while Stipkovits et al (1984) confirmed the presence of A laidlawii and A. axanthum and many untyped strains in geese on an experimental farm in the Landes region of France. In addition, we have found M. cloacale (Bradbury and Forrest, 1984) on another farm in laying geese showing poor fertility (unpublished findings).…”

Occurrence of mycoplasmas in geese affected with inflammation of the cloaca and phallus

“…At the same time, the Mycoplasma strain which is second most frequent in Hungary is identical (J.M. Bradbury, personal communication) to strain 46 of M, cloacale (Bradbury and Forrest, 1984), isolated in France from cases of egg infertility and embryonic mortality. On the basis of our data, inflammation of the cloaca and phallus of ganders is accompanied by the spread of the mycoplasma infection.…”

Mycoplasmaspecies isolated from six avian species

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