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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Acholeplasma laidlawii
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]   
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Mycoplasmatota
Class
Mollicutes
Order
Acholeplasmatales
Family
Acholeplasmataceae 
Genus
Acholeplasma
Type Strain: PG-8 = ATCC 23206 = NCTC 10116
Macromorphology (smell):
Acholeplasma laidlawii  
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
Special Media:
Disease:Probably non-pathogenic
Hosts: Has been isolated from manure, soil, plants, insects and many different mammalian species
Clinical Picture:
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
NC_010163 PG-8A 1 496 992 1c + 0 

16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
U14905 PG8 1 476 

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
Acholeplasma laidlawii  
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

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