Revision of haemotrophic Mycoplasma species names.

Abstract

The recently proposed transfer of four rickettsias from the genera Haemobartonella and Eperythrozoon to the genus Mycoplasma with the Candidatus status is herein revised. This is because the Candidatus designation is for new, incompletely described taxa, in order to give them a provisional status. Thus, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemofelis' is revised to Mycoplasma haemofelis comb. nov., nom. nov., 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemomuris' is revised to Mycoplasma haemomuris comb. nov., nom. nov., 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemosuis' is revised to Mycoplasma haemosuis comb. nov., nom. nov. and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma wenyonii' is revised to Mycoplasma wenyonii comb. nov.

Detection of Mixed Infections with “CandidatusMycoplasma Haemominutum” andMycoplasma HaemofelisUsing Real-Time TaqMan Polymerase Chain Reaction

“…At least 3 species infect cats: Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (Mhm), as well as 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' (Mtc), a new species that was recently described in cats in Switzerland. 5,10,11,18 The latter species appears to be present in cats in North America, as well as an organism related to 'Candidatus M. haematoparvum' (Mhp), which was first identified in dogs. 12,13 Mhf is capable of causing severe anemia in cats, whereas Mhm has yet to be associated with disease in immunocompetent cats.…”

‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum’, a novel small haemotropic mycoplasma from a dog

“…On the basis of the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, organisms belonging to the genera Haemobartonella and Eperythrozoon have now been reclassified as haemotropic Mycoplasma species ('haemoplasmas') (Neimark et al, 2001(Neimark et al, , 2002. These organisms are most closely related to the fastidious, glucose-fermenting mycoplasmas Mycoplasma cavipharyngis and Mycoplasma fastidiosum (Johansson et al, 1999).…”

“…The organisms are visible, using light-microscopic examination of blood smears, as rods, cocci or rings. Haemoplasmas within the haemosuis subcluster of mycoplasmas include 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum', Mycoplasma suis, Mycoplasma wenyonii, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemolamae' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemodidelphidis' (Messick et al, 2002;Neimark et al, 2001Neimark et al, , 2002; these are haemoplasmas of cats, pigs, cattle, alpacas and opossums, respectively. In contrast, haemoplasmas belonging to the haemofelis subcluster include Mycoplasma haemofelis, Mycoplasma haemomuris and Mycoplasma haemocanis, which infect cats, mice and dogs, respectively.…”

“…Treatment with doxycycline was initiated; 11 days later, no organisms were visible on blood smears. The aim of this work was to characterize this novel haemoplasma in more detail by sequencing the partial 16S rRNA gene and partial rnpB (RNase P) gene, which have been used to examine the relationship between other haemoplasmas (Birkenheuer et al, 2002;Messick et al, 2002;Neimark et al, 2001;Tasker et al, 2003). On the basis of these results, we propose a candidate species name for this organism, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum'.…”

Phylogenetic analysis and description of Eperythrozoon coccoides, proposal to transfer to the genus Mycoplasma as Mycoplasma coccoides comb. nov. and Request for an Opinion

“…Eperythrozoon coccoides is a blood parasite of laboratory and wild mice and was one of the first discovered members (Schilling, 1928;Dinger, 1928Dinger, , 1929 of what has emerged as a large and ubiquitous group of haemotrophic bacteria that infect a broad range of mammalian hosts including, occasionally, humans (Weinman, 1935(Weinman, , 1944Kreier et al, 1992;Neimark et al, 2001). E. coccoides, like most members of the group, is vector-transmitted and produces a primary acute infection which is followed by a persistent latent infection.…”