| Species/Subspecies: | Acholeplasma laidlawii | ||||||||
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| Etymology: | Genus name: suggests lack of a requirement for cholesterol. Species epithet: named after the Brittish virologist Patrick Laidlaw (1881-1940), who first isolated this organism. | ||||||||
| Significance: | Of no direct importance for veterinary medicine [Of minor importance] |
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| Taxonomy: | Class Mollicutes Order Acholeplasmatales Family Acholeplasmataceae Genus Acholeplasma |
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| Type Strain: | PG-8 = ATCC 23206 = NCTC 10116 | ||||||||
| Macromorphology (smell):
| Small colonies (0.2-2 mm), with a shape resembling a fried egg | ||||||||
| Micromorphology: | Small, pleomorphic and nonmotile organisms (0.2-0.5 µm in diameter). | ||||||||
| Gram +/Gram -: | G-, but is normally not gram stained since the cells are fragile and fragmented by this staining method. | ||||||||
| Metabolism: | Facultatively anaerobic | ||||||||
| Catalase/Oxidase: | ?/- | ||||||||
| Other Enzymes: | Arginine -, urease - | ||||||||
| Fermentation of carbohydrates: | Glucose + | ||||||||
| Spec. Char.: | Lacks a cell wall. Temperature optimum: 37°C, but grows at 20-41°C | ||||||||
| Disease: | Probably non-pathogenic |
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| Hosts: | Has been isolated from manure, soil, plants, insects and many different mammalian species | ||||||||
| Clinical Picture: | |||||||||
| Genome Sequence: |
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| 16S rRNA Seq.: |
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| Taxonomy/phylogeny:
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About 20 species have been described within the genus Acholeplasma, but all species names have not yet been aproved. This genus is closely related to a group of plant pathogens, which used to be called phytoplasmas. It has not been possible to cultivate these bacteria and this genus should, therefore, be called: "Candidatus Phytoplasma". | ||||||||
| 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) the names have not changed and this applies to members of the genus Acholeplasma.
Sometimes found as a contaminant of cell cultures. | ||||||||
| Updated: | 2023-03-15 |
