Mycoplasma spermatophilum, a New Species Isolated from Human Spermatozoa and Cervix

Abstract

A mycoplasma isolated from human spermatozoa and a human cervix was shown to be serologically distinct from 98 previously recognized MycopEasma and AchoZepZasma spp. Six mycoplasma colonies were cloned and examined in detail for morphology, growth, and biochemical characteristics; five of these were from sperm samples and one was from a cervix. These strains were closely related and had the following properties: guanine-plus-cytosine content of 32 mol% , requirement for sterol, and anaerobic growth. Glucose was not metabolized, and arginine and urea were not hydrolyzed. Strain AH159 (= NCTC 11720) is the type strain of a new species, Mycoplasma spermatophilum.Twelve named Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma species have been isolated from the respiratory or genital tracts of humans (6). Mycoplasma buccale, Mycoplasma faucium, Mycoplasma lipophilum , Mycoplasma orale, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma salivarium are found almost exclusively in respiratory tracts. Mycoplasma fermentans has been found infrequently in urogenital tracts, while Mycoplasma primatum, a species commonly present in nonhuman South American primates (15), has on occasion been isolated from humans. Acholeplasma laidlawii, which is also uncommon in humans, has been isolated from many animal species and plants (26).The more common human genital mycoplasmas are Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis, although each of these species has also been found in human respiratory systems. Both of these species have been implicated in certain diseases (e.g., nongonococcal urethritis and pelvic inflammatory disease) (30). The association of ureaplasmas with some other diseases has not been proved as controls are often similarly infected. It is possible that serotyping of ureaplasmas may clarify this position.Recently, a fastidious mycoplasma was isolated from human genital tracts by using SP4 medium (37). This mycoplasma, Mycoplasma genitalium was recovered from patients with nongonococcal urethritis (36), but the respiratory tract is probably the primary host site of colonization (3).Strains 9,47,50,58, AH159T (T = type strain), and Monks were isolated from the urogenital tracts of patients with infertility problems and could not be identified as any of the previously described human species. In this paper I describe the characteristics of these organisms and propose that they are members of a new Mycoplasma species. MATERIALS AND METHODSMycoplasma strains. Mycoplasmas were isolated from the spermatozoa of five patients attending an in vitro fertilization clinic (16) and from the cervix of one woman attending a clinic for infertility (strain Monks). The cervix isolate was obtained from a cervical swab rubbed over the surface of an agar culture medium. Semen and washed sperm were inoculated onto the agar medium and SP4 agar and into glucose, arginine, and urea broth media and SP4 liquid medium (13,32,37). Most of the inoculated liquid media were diluted 1/10; the one exception was urea medium, which was diluted 10-fold to lo6. The amount of inoculum de...

A Study on Infertility of Males Infected with <i>Mycoplasma hominis</i> with Reference to Sperm Morphology

“…Some investigators did not show any significant correlation between M. hominis infection and semen quality [36] [37]. Statistically, the present study did not show any significant difference between sperm count, motility and/or morphology [38] [39]. Previous studies have reported that the presence of mycoplasmas in sperm specimens has no real effect on the semen quality, nor on the leukocyte count as reported by Andrade-Rocha [26] [40].…”

Mycoplasma penetrans sp. nov., from the Urogenital Tract of Patients with AIDS

“…are less common (5,14,35,37). The frequency of isolation of urogenital mycoplasmas depends in part on the group of individuals studied.…”

Note: Phylogenetic position of rare human mycoplasmas, Mycoplasma faucium, M. buccale, M. primatum and M. spermatophilum, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences

“…Several mycoplasma species have been isolated from respiratory and genital tracts of humans (10). Recently, a fastidious mycoplasma was isolated from urogenital tracts of patients with infertility problems and named Mycoplasma spermatophilum (3,4). Mycoplasma primatum, a species commonly present in nonhuman primates, has been isolated from human urinary tract as well (4, 1 1, 12).…”