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Genes Jul 2020Bacteria of the genus are characterized by the lack of a cell-wall, the use of UGA as tryptophan codon instead of a universal stop, and their simplified metabolic... (Review)
Review
Bacteria of the genus are characterized by the lack of a cell-wall, the use of UGA as tryptophan codon instead of a universal stop, and their simplified metabolic pathways. Most of these features are due to the small-size and limited-content of their genomes (580-1840 Kbp; 482-2050 CDS). Yet, the genus encompasses over 200 species living in close contact with a wide range of animal hosts and man. These include pathogens, pathobionts, or commensals that have retained the full capacity to synthesize DNA, RNA, and all proteins required to sustain a parasitic life-style, with most being able to grow under laboratory conditions without host cells. Over the last 10 years, comparative genome analyses of multiple species and strains unveiled some of the dynamics of mycoplasma genomes. This review summarizes our current knowledge of genomic islands (GIs) found in mycoplasmas, with a focus on pathogenicity islands, integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), and prophages. Here, we discuss how GIs contribute to the dynamics of mycoplasma genomes and how they participate in the evolution of these minimal organisms.
Topics: Animals; Evolution, Molecular; Genome, Bacterial; Genomic Islands; Humans; Mycoplasma
PubMed: 32707922
DOI: 10.3390/genes11080836 -
Microbiology and Immunology Sep 2023This review describes the upstream-directed movement in the small parasitic bacterium Mycoplasma. Many Mycoplasma species exhibit gliding motility, a form of biological... (Review)
Review
This review describes the upstream-directed movement in the small parasitic bacterium Mycoplasma. Many Mycoplasma species exhibit gliding motility, a form of biological motion over surfaces without the aid of general surface appendages such as flagella. The gliding motility is characterized by a constant unidirectional movement without changes in direction or backward motion. Unlike flagellated bacteria, Mycoplasma lacks the general chemotactic signaling system to control their moving direction. Therefore, the physiological role of directionless travel in Mycoplasma gliding remains unclear. Recently, high-precision measurements under an optical microscope have revealed that three species of Mycoplasma exhibited rheotaxis, that is, the direction of gliding motility is lead upstream by the water flow. This intriguing response appears to be optimized for the flow patterns encountered at host surfaces. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the morphology, behavior, and habitat of Mycoplasma gliding, and discusses the possibility that the rheotaxis is ubiquitous among them.
Topics: Mycoplasma; Movement
PubMed: 37430383
DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.13090 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2022Although previous studies have reported the use of metabolomics for infectious diseases, little is known about the potential function of plasma metabolites in children...
Although previous studies have reported the use of metabolomics for infectious diseases, little is known about the potential function of plasma metabolites in children infected with (MP). Here, a combination of liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and random forest-based classification model was used to provide a broader range of applications in MP diagnosis. In the training cohort, plasma from 63 MP pneumonia children (MPPs), 37 healthy controls (HC) and 29 infectious disease controls (IDC) was collected. After multivariate analyses, 357 metabolites were identified to be differentially expressed among MPP, HC and IDC groups, and 3 metabolites (568.5661, 459.3493 and 411.3208) had high diagnostic values. In an independent cohort with 57 blinded subjects, samples were successfully classified into different groups, demonstrating the reliability of these biomarkers for distinguishing MPPs from controls. A metabolomic signature analysis identified major classes of glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids and fatty acyls were increased in MPPs. These markedly altered metabolites are mainly involved in glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism. As the ubiquitous building blocks of eukaryotic cell membranes, dysregulated lipid metabolism indicates damage of the cellular membrane and the activation of immunity in MPPs. Moreover, lipid metabolites, differentially expressed between severe and mild MPPs, were correlated with the markers of extrapulmonary complications, suggesting that they may be involved in MPP disease severity. These findings may offer new insights into biomarker selection and the pathogenesis of MPP in children.
Topics: Biomarkers; Humans; Metabolomics; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 35094669
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2036582 -
MBio Dec 2021Mycoplasmas are small, genome-reduced bacteria. They are obligate parasites that can be found in a wide range of host species, including the majority of livestock... (Review)
Review
Mycoplasmas are small, genome-reduced bacteria. They are obligate parasites that can be found in a wide range of host species, including the majority of livestock animals and humans. Colonization of the host can result in a wide spectrum of outcomes. In many cases, these successful parasites are considered commensal, as they are found in the microbiota of asymptomatic carriers. Conversely, mycoplasmas can also be pathogenic, as they are associated with a range of both acute and chronic inflammatory diseases which are problematic in veterinary and human medicine. The chronicity of mycoplasma infections and the ability of these bacteria to infect even recently vaccinated individuals clearly indicate that they are able to successfully evade their host's humoral immune response. Over the years, multiple strategies of immune evasion have been identified in mycoplasmas, with a number of them aimed at generating important antigenic diversity. More recently, mycoplasma-specific anti-immunoglobulin strategies have also been characterized. Through the expression of the immunoglobulin-binding proteins protein M or mycoplasma immunoglobulin binding (MIB), mycoplasmas have the ability to target the host's antibodies and to prevent them from interacting with their cognate antigens. In this review, we discuss how these discoveries shed new light on the relationship between mycoplasmas and their host's immune system. We also propose that these strategies should be taken into consideration for future studies, as they are key to our understanding of mycoplasma diseases' chronic and inflammatory nature and are probably a contributing factor to reduce vaccine efficacy.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Immune Evasion; Immunoglobulins; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma Infections
PubMed: 34781733
DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01974-21 -
Cell Reports Dec 2023The carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are closely related to viral infection and intestinal bacteria. However, little is known about...
The carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are closely related to viral infection and intestinal bacteria. However, little is known about bacteria within the HCC tumor microenvironment. Here, we showed that intratumoral Mycoplasma hyorhinis (M. hyorhinis) promoted the initiation and progression of HCC by enhancing nuclear ploidy. We quantified M. hyorhinis in clinical tissue specimens of HCC and observed that patients with high M. hyorhinis load had poor prognosis. We found that gastrointestinal M. hyorhinis can retrogradely infect the liver through the oral-duodenal-hepatopancreatic ampulla route. We further found that the increases in mononuclear polyploidy and cancer stemness resulted from mitochondrial fission caused by intracellular M. hyorhinis. Mechanistically, M. hyorhinis infection promoted the decay of mitochondrial fusion protein (MFN) 1 mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner. Our findings indicated that M. hyorhinis infection promoted pathological polyploidization and suggested that Mycoplasma clearance with antibiotics or regulating mitochondrial dynamics might have the potential for HCC therapy.
Topics: Humans; Mycoplasma; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Mycoplasma hyorhinis; Mycoplasma Infections; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 38088929
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113563 -
Cold Spring Harbor Protocols Jul 2021Because mycoplasmas are a diverse group of organisms and are difficult to culture, several different strategies for detecting mycoplasma contamination have been...
Because mycoplasmas are a diverse group of organisms and are difficult to culture, several different strategies for detecting mycoplasma contamination have been developed. To date, no one test is suitable for detecting all of the possible mycoplasmas that may contaminate hybridoma or myeloma cultures. Therefore, it is sensible to consider using several methods. The most commonly used techniques are described here. screening by growth on microbial medium can be performed on agar plates or in broth culture. Cultures are grown under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions because some common strains of prefer the lack of oxygen (, , , and ). colonies form a characteristic "fried egg" appearance on agar plates, and this is the diagnostic feature used to confirm mycoplasma contamination. The colonies are small and are most easily seen with an inverted microscope. A quicker method for testing for mycoplasma takes advantage of the DNA-intercalating dye Hoechst 33258. Fixed cells are stained with the dye, and contaminated cultures are detected by the bright, punctate cytoplasmic staining of the DNA. Finally, commercial kits for the detection of mycoplasmas using colorimetric assays or reporter cells are also described.
Topics: Culture Media; Hybridomas; Mycoplasma
PubMed: 34210772
DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot103283 -
Urologia Aug 2023The aim of this study was to assess the presence of agents, their distribution between male and female, and differences in antibiotic susceptibility in samples sent...
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess the presence of agents, their distribution between male and female, and differences in antibiotic susceptibility in samples sent from Hisar Intercontinental Hospital's various clinics with the preliminary diagnosis of genitourinary system infection.
METHODS
The Mycoplasma IES test was used to identify and , and to determine antibiotic susceptibility results, in samples taken from patients. The findings of mycoplasma and ureaplasma culture testing samples requested between 2014 and 2021 were evaluated retrospectively from our records.
RESULTS
was found to be positive in 7.37% of the examinations, was found to be positive in 34.98% of the examinations, and either of them were found to be positive in 22.01% of the examinations. The growth rate of and/or was determined to be 24.95% in females and 10.13% in males, with the growth rate in females being greater and statistically significant ( < 0.001). According to the antibiotic susceptibility test results, clarithromycin (R 17.91%) was the most susceptible antibiotic overall for both microorganisms, while clindamycin (R 90.28%) was the most resistant. Depending on the sex, clarithromycin (R 18.40%) was found to be the most susceptible antibiotic in females, and levofloxacin (R 10.87%) to be the most susceptible in males.
CONCLUSION
Given the presence of and infections, especially in the presence of risky conditions such as pregnancy, laboratory tests for the diagnosis of these agents should be used in such studies since no urogenital infections were detected in the routine cultures of the patients followed up with the suspicion of urogenital infection. Gender differences should also be considered as a parameter in the preference of antibiotics.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Male; Female; Mycoplasma; Ureaplasma; Retrospective Studies; Clarithromycin; Mycoplasma Infections; Ureaplasma urealyticum; Mycoplasma hominis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Urinary Tract Infections
PubMed: 36537833
DOI: 10.1177/03915603221143422 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2023Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a small cell wall-lacking bacterium that is a common cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in humans. In addition to its clinical importance, M....
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a small cell wall-lacking bacterium that is a common cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in humans. In addition to its clinical importance, M. pneumoniae has recently been considered a promising model organism for synthetic biology because of its small genome size and unique cell structure. At one cell pole, M. pneumoniae forms the attachment organelle that is responsible for adherence to host cells and gliding motility. The attachment organelle is a membrane protrusion and is composed of number of molecules, including adhesin and cytoskeletal proteins. Genetic manipulation techniques are key research approaches for understanding the structure and the function of this unique molecular machinery. In this chapter, standard genetic engineering methods for this species using the Tn4001 transposon vector are described.
Topics: Humans; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Adhesins, Bacterial; Genetic Techniques; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Organelles; Bacterial Proteins; Bacterial Adhesion
PubMed: 36842129
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3060-0_29 -
Veterinary Microbiology Aug 2023Infectious synovitis in chickens caused by Mycoplasma synoviae infections are characterized by exudative synovial joint membranes and tenosynovitis. We isolated M....
Infectious synovitis in chickens caused by Mycoplasma synoviae infections are characterized by exudative synovial joint membranes and tenosynovitis. We isolated M. synoviae from chickens on farms in Guangdong, China and identifed 29 K-type and 3 A-type strains using vlhA genotyping and all displayed decreased susceptibilities to enrofloxacin, doxycycline, tiamulin and tylosin compared with the type strain WVU1853 (ATCC 25204). M. synoviae biofilms were present after staining as block or continuous dot shape morphologies and these appeared as tower-like and mushroom-like structures in scanning electron micrographs. The optimal temperature for biofilm formation was 33 °C and these biofilms enhanced the resistance of M. synoviae to all 4 antibiotics we tested and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration for enrofloxacin and biofilm biomass were significantly negatively correlated (r < 0, 0.3 ≤|r|<0.5, P < 0.05). This work is the first study of the biofilm formation ability of M. synoviae and provides the foundation for further investigations.
Topics: Animals; Mycoplasma synoviae; Enrofloxacin; Chickens; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Mycoplasma Infections; Drug Resistance; Poultry Diseases
PubMed: 37267807
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2023.109777 -
Acta Parasitologica Jun 2023The extensive migration practiced by pastoralists cattle exposes them to a variety of pathogens and vectors which may sometimes lead to severe disease outcomes....
PURPOSE
The extensive migration practiced by pastoralists cattle exposes them to a variety of pathogens and vectors which may sometimes lead to severe disease outcomes. Moreover, the synergistic effect of multiple parasitism on the productivity of livestock has been well recognized. This is particularly true where the livestock production system predisposes the animals to constant and heavy infestation with arthropod vectors.
METHODS
The presences, prevalence and risk factors for hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasma) infection in cattle in Nigeria was investigated using a PCR and sequencing approach. DNA, extracted from 566 cattle blood samples, collected from 10 states from the three agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Nigeria, from April 2021 to March 2022, were screened for the presences of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. DNA.
RESULTS
The DNA of hemoplasmas was detected in 48 out of the 566 (8.5%) samples, 12 (25%) of them were identified as Mycoplasma wenyonii and 19 (38.6%) as 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos'. Coinfection with both species was detected in 17 (35.4%) of the samples. High prevalence and risk of hemoplasmas infection was associated with sex of the cattle (bulls were more affected; p = 0.005) and the packed cell volume (p = 0.009), but not with the age (p = 0.08), breed (p = 0.22), body condition (p = 0.052), source of the samples (p = 0.45) or the AEZs (0.59). This is the first nationwide survey of hemotropic mycoplasmas in cattle in Nigeria using this molecular approach.
CONCLUSION
Further studies to determine the veterinary and public health significance of these pathogens, which were previously associated with varying degrees of clinical signs and production losses, are recommended in Nigerian cattle.
Topics: Cattle; Animals; Male; Mycoplasma Infections; Nigeria; Cattle Diseases; Mycoplasma; Livestock; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 37170044
DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00683-0