Mycoplasma lipofaciens, a New Species of Avian Origin

Abstract

A mycoplasma designated strain R171T (type strain) was isolated from the infraorbital sinus of an adult chicken. This organism was assigned to the class Mollicutes and the order Mycoplasmutales on the basis of its morphological, physical, and cultural characteristics. Its deoxyribonucleic acid base composition was 24.5 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Strain R171T was sterol dependent, and since it did not produce helical forms or hydrolyze urea, it was assigned to the family Mycoplasmataceae and the genus Mycoplasma. Strain R171T fermented glucose, hydrolyzed arginine, and produced films and spots. This strain was shown to be serologically distinct from 74 currently accepted mycoplasma species or serovars by growth inhibition, immunofluorescence, and immunodiffusion tests, which were supported in some cases by metabolism inhibition tests. Thus, strain R171T appears to be a new and distinct mycoplasma s ecies, for which we propose the name Mycoplasma lipofaciens (= NCTC 10191' = ATCC 35015T).During a survey of mycoplasmosis in domestic poultry and wild birds, a number of isolates were recovered from the respiratory tracts of chickens; these isolates were apparently serologically distinct from previously recognized avian species (23). Particular interest was focussed on isolates which were biochemically similar to Mycoplasma iowae (previously avian serovar I) in having the ability to utilize both glucose and arginine but which showed no serological relationship to this group of mycoplasmas during preliminary tests.In view of the importance of mycoplasma detection to the poultry industry and of the increasing evidence of the pathogenicity of M . iowae (8,29,32,40,41), we thought that it would be worthwhile to characterize these strains further. The aims of this paper are to establish that one of these isolates, strain R171T (type strain), is a new Mycoplasma species and to provide a detailed description of the morphological, physical, cultural, biochemical, and serological properties of this organism in accordance with the recommendations of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes (22).(Preliminary results of this investigation were presented at the 3rd Conference of the International Organization for Mycoplasmology , Custer, S.D., in 1980.) MATERIALS AND METHODSMycoplasma strains. Most reference strains used in this study were obtained from the World Health OrganizatiodFood and Agriculture Organization Collaborating Centre for Animal Mycoplasmas, University of Aarhus , Denmark; exceptions were Mycoplasma sualvi, Mycoplasma faucium, Mycoplasma bovoculi, and Mycoplasma hominis reference strains, which were obtained from the National Collection of Type Cultures, London, England. Strain R171T was isolated from the infraorbital sinus of an adult chicken in 1975; the flock to which this chicken belonged was serologically positive for Mycoplasma synoviae but clinically normal.Media. For isolation and laboratory examination, strains were normally propagated in a modifi...

Mycoplasma imitans sp. nov. Is Related to Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Found in Birds

“…The media and conditions used to propagate most of the strains have been described previously (9). SP4 medium (39) Mycoplasma strains 4229T and B2/85 were subcultured routinely in broth or on agar (7) at 37°C in a carbon dioxide-rich (5%, vol/vol) atmosphere.…”

“…The colony morphology of strains 4229T and B2/85 was determined by light microscopy, and cell morphology was determined by light and electron microscopy (9,12). Filterability studies were conducted by using 450-and 220-nm-pore-diameter membrane filters with starting cultures containing approximately lo7 CFU/ml.…”

Mycoplasma glycophilum, a New Species of Avian Origin

“…sualvi culture and antiserum to strain 486 was not seen with the control preinoculation rabbit serum, however, mnes of similar size occurred using rabbit antiserum to M . lipfaciem (Bradbury et al, 1983) and using rabbit serum prepared against another proposed new species (unpublished). It was thought therefore that the inhibitory zones were related in some way to the method used in our laboratory for preparation of rabbit antiserum.…”

“…Previous papers (Forrest & Bradbury, 1980;Jordan & Amin, 1980;Bradbury et al, 1983) have reported the isolation from poultry of mycoplasmas which were apparently serologically distinct from the recognized avian species and one of these isolates has recently been proposed as a new species of Mycoplasma (Bradbury et al, 1983). The aim of this paper is to establish another of these untyped isolates, strain 486, as a new Mycoplasma species and to provide a detailed description of its cultural, morphological, biochemical and serological properties as recommended by the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology, Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes (1979).…”

Genotypic heterogeneity among strains ofMycoplasma gallinarum

“…The type strain of M. gallinarum PG 16 was obtained from Dr Janet M. Bradbury describing its origin elsewhere (Bradbury et al, 1983). The designation and origin of seven field M. gallinarum strains are listed in Table 1.…”