| Species/Subspecies: | Mycoplasma leachii | |||||||||
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| Etymology: | Genus name: fungus shaped. Species epithet: named to honour Dr. R. H. Leach, who first characterized this taxon. . | |||||||||
| Significance: | [Of minor importance] | |||||||||
| Alternative Species Name(s): | Mycoplasma sp. bovine group 7 of Leach. | |||||||||
| Taxonomy: | Class Mollicutes Order Mycoplasmatales Family Mycoplasmataceae Genus Mycoplasma |
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| Type Strain: | PG50 = NCTC 10133. | |||||||||
| Macromorphology (smell): | Forms small and very typical umbonated colonies ("fried egg appearance), which can be observed in a microscope. | |||||||||
| Micromorphology: | Very small and pleomorphic. Non-motile. | |||||||||
| Gram +/Gram -: | G-, but is normally not gram stained because the cells will then be fragmented. | |||||||||
| Metabolism: | Facultatively anaerobic. Energy source: glucose (pH is decreased). | |||||||||
| Catalase/Oxidase: | ||||||||||
| Spec. Char.: | ||||||||||
| Special Media: | ||||||||||
| Disease: | Polyarthritis, mastitis, abortion and pneumonia.
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| 16S rRNA Seq.: |
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| Taxonomy/phylogeny:
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Seven species have been described within the revised genus Mycoplasma to which Mycoplasma leachii belongs. Two of these species are divided into four subspecies. These species and subspecies belong to the so-called the mycoides group and they are closely related to mollicutes within the genus Spiroplasma. This genus contains many plant pathogens. See the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 229:1). Note that it is only for the mollicutes of the mycoides group that the letter M stands for Mycoplasma. For the other species, M means: Mesomycoplasma, Metamycoplasma, Mycoplasmoides or Mycoplasmopsis. | |||||||||
| Comment: | Based on whole genome sequencing, the taxonomy of mycoplasmas has recently undergone a comprehensive revision. The new taxonomy has now been introduced in VetBact. For some mollicutes (mycoplasmas), however, the names have not changed and this applies to members of the mycoides group. Read more about the revised taxonomy of the mollicutes under the Term list of VetBact and see also reference 164 below. | |||||||||
| Reference(s): | No. 164 | |||||||||
| Updated: | 2023-03-15 |