Revised minimal standards for description of new species of the class Mollicutes (division Tenericutes)

Abstract

Minimal standards for novel species of the class Mollicutes (trivial term, mollicutes), last published in 1995, require revision. The International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes proposes herein revised standards that reflect recent advances in molecular systematics and the species concept for prokaryotes. The mandatory requirements are: (i) deposition of the type strain into two recognized culture collections, preferably located in different countries; (ii) deposition of the 16S rRNA gene sequence into a public database, and a phylogenetic analysis of the relationships among the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the novel species and its neighbours; (iii) deposition of antiserum against the type strain into a recognized collection; (iv) demonstration, by using the combination of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, serological analyses and supplementary phenotypic data, that the type strain differs significantly from all previously named species; and (v) assignment to an order, a family and a genus in the class, with an appropriate specific epithet. The 16S rRNA gene sequence provides the primary basis for assignment to hierarchical rank, and may also constitute evidence of species novelty, but serological and supplementary phenotypic data must be presented to substantiate this. Serological methods have been documented to be congruent with DNA-DNA hybridization data and with 16S rRNA gene placements. The novel species must be tested serologically to the greatest extent that the investigators deem feasible against all neighbouring species whose 16S rRNA gene sequences show .0.94 similarity. The investigator is responsible for justifying which characters are most meaningful for assignment to the part of the mollicute phylogenetic tree in which a novel species is located, and for providing the means by which novel species can be identified by other investigators.

MIB–MIP is a mycoplasma system that captures and cleaves immunoglobulin G

“…mycoplasmas | immunoglobulin | protease M ycoplasmas are small-sized bacteria belonging to the class Mollicutes (1). These organisms are characterized by a fast evolution that has been marked by a drastic genome reduction, leading to current mycoplasmas having a reduced coding capacity, no cell wall, and a limited number of metabolic pathways (2,3).…”

Presence of Antibodies Against Mycoplasma penetrans in Patients with Antiphospholipid Syndrome

“…[Baseman & Tully, 1997;Razin et al, 1998]. Currently, there are more than 200 species allocated into four orders, five families and eight genera within the Class Mollicutes [Brown et al, 2007]. All species of Mycoplasmataceae are obligate parasites and host specificity is quite strict for hosts including humans, rodents and birds.…”

Mycoplasma genitalium: a brief review

“…11 In 2007, these standards were revised to include the deposition of the 16S rRNA gene sequence into a public database, and a phylogenetic analysis of the relationships among the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the novel species and its neighbours. 12 The phylogenetic tree of evolution shows that mycoplasmas may be descendants of Gram-positive bacteria, presumably of clostridial origin. 4,7 This transformation is thought to have occurred through a genome reduction process leading to M. genitalium having the smallest genome of all self-replicating prokaryotes.…”