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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Mycoplasmopsis agalactiae
Category: Notifiable diseases and bacteria
Etymology: Genus name: similar to mycoplasma (fungus shaped).
Species epithet: from lack of milk
Significance:  [Important]   
Alternative Species Name(s):Mycoplasma agalactiae
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Mycoplasmatota
Class
Mollicutes
Order
Mycoplasmoidales
Family
Metamycoplasmataceae 
Genus
Mycoplasmopsis
Type Strain: PG2 = NCTC 10123.
Macromorphology (smell): Forms small and very typical umbonated colonies ("fried egg appearance"), which can be observed in a microscope.
Micromorphology: Very small and pleomorphic
Gram +/Gram -:G-, but is normally not gram stained because the cells will then be fragmented.
Metabolism: Facultatively anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:
Spec. Char.: Lacks a cell wall.
Special Media:
Disease:The disease usually causes more severe symptoms in goats than in sheep.
HostsDiseaseClinical picture
Goats and sheepContagious agalactiaInflammation of the udder, which leads to a sharp reduction in milk production. May also cause inflammation of joints (arthritis) and eyes (keratoconjunctivitis). All symptoms are only rarely observed in the same individual.
Wild ungulatesMay also suffer from this disease
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
NC_009497 PG2T 0 877 438 1c + 0 

16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
U44763 (T) 1457 

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
Mycoplasmopsis agalactiae  
Mycoplasmopsis is the largest genus among mollicutes of veterinary importance and about 55 species have been described so far within this genus. M. agalactiae is closely related to M. bovis. See the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 33:1) where M can mean Mycoplasma, Mesomycoplasma, Metamycoplasma, Mycoplasmoides or Mycoplasmopsis.
Legislation: Contagious agalactia is included in OIE's B-list of major animal diseases. The disease is notifyable in Sweden.
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, but it will still be possible to search for the alternative species names. 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

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