Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Molecular Biology and Pathogenicity of Mycoplasmas pp 1–29Cite as

Taxonomy of Mollicutes

  • Chapter

Abstract

Many commonly used bacteriological terms are far from being well defined and in scientific papers these terms may be used with different meanings15, 89. One of the purposes of bacterial taxonomy is to avoid confusion by creating a database with a common language for bacteriologists. The word taxonomy is derived from the Greek words taxis and nomos, which mean arrangement or order and law, respectively. Microbial taxonomy includes three different, but related areas, namely classification, nomenclature and identification2. Taxonomy can be regarded as a complete system for organisation of information about organisms and classification is defined as the theories and principles for arranging organisms into hierarchic groups of the above database. Taxon (pl. taxa) is defined as a group of organisms of any rank in the taxonomic hierarchy62. For instance, species, family and domain are taxa and these taxa are ranked according to their level of inclusiveness. Nomenclature refers to the process of naming taxa on the basis of similarities or relations, which for bacteria is regulated by the so-called Bacteriological Code72. Identification is the practical application of a classification scheme to establish the identity of an isolate. Systematics is sometimes used as a synonym for taxonomy, but phylogenetic aspects are often also included in systematics74.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Amann, R. I., W. Ludwig, and K.-H. Schleifer. 1995. Phylogenetic identification and in situ detection of individual microbial cells without cultivation. Microbiol. Rev. 59:143–169.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Brenner, D. J., J. T. Staley, and N. R. Krieg. 2001. Classification of prokaryotic organisms and the concept of bacterial speciation, p. 27–31. In G. Garrity (ed.), Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 1. 2nd edition. Springer-Verlag, N.Y., New York.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Brown, D. R., B. C. Crenshaw, G. S. McLaughlin, I. M. Schumacher, C. E. McKenna, P. A. Klein, E. R. Jacobson, and M. B. Brown. 1995. Taxonomic analysis of the tortoise mycoplasmas Mycoplasma agassizi, and Mycoplasma testudinis by 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:348–350.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown, D. R., G. S. McLaughlin, and M. B. Brown. 1995. Taxonomy of the feline mycoplasmas Mycoplasma felifaucium, Mycoplasma feliminutum, Mycoplasma felis, Mycoplasma gateae, Mycoplasma leocaptivus, Mycoplasma leopharyngis, and Mycoplasma simbae by 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:560–564.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Brown, D. R., J. M. Farley, L. A. Zacher, J. M.-R. Carlton, T. L. Clippinger, J. G. Tully, and M. B. Brown. 2001. Mycoplasma alligatoris sp. nov., from American alligators. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:419–424.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chambaud, I., R. Heilig, S. Ferris, V. Barbe, D. Samson, F. Galisson, I. Moszer, K. Dybvig, H. Wróblewski, A. Viari, E. P. Rocha, and A. Blanchard. 2001. The complete genome sequence of the murine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma pulmonis. Nucleic Acids Res. 29:2145–2153.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Christiansen, G., and H. Erne. 1990. RFLP in rRNA genes of Mycoplasma capricolum, the caprine F38-like group and the bovine serogroup 7. Zentralbl. Bacteriol. Hyg. Suppl. 20:479–488.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cilia, V., B. Lafay, and R. Christen. 1996. Sequence heterogeneities among 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, and their effect on phylogenetic analysis at the species level. Mol. Biol. Evol. 13:451–461.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Clayton, R. A., G. Sutton, P. S. Hinkle, Jr., C. Bult, and C. Fields. 1995. Intraspecific variation in small-subunit rRNA sequences in GenBank: why single sequences may not adequately represent prokaryotic taxa. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:595–599.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Colwell, R. R. 1970. Polyphasic taxonomy of the genus Vibrio: numerical taxonomy of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and related Vibrio species. J. Bacteriol. 104:410–433.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cottew, G. S., A. Breard, A. J. DaMassa, H. Erne, R. H. Leach, P. C. Lefevre, A. W. Rodwell, and G. R. Smith. 1987. Taxonomy of the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster. Israel J. Med. Sci. 23:632–635.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Cowan, T. S. 1971. Sense and nonsense in bacterial taxonomy. J. Gen. Microbiol. 67:1–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Davis, R. E., R. F. Whitcomb, T. A. Chen, and R. R. Granados. 1972. Current status of the aetiology of corn stunt disease, p. 205–225. In K. Elliott and J. Birch (ed.), Pathogenic mycoplasmas. Ciba Foundation Sympoium. Elsevier-Excerpta Medica-North-Holland, Amsterdam.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. De Vos, P., and H. G. Trüper. 2000. Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. IXth International (IUMS) Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 50:2239–2244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Dijkshoorn, L., B. M. Ursing, and J. B. Ursing. 2000. Strain, clone and species: comments on three basic concepts of bacteriology. J. Med. Microbiol. 49:397–401.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Doi, Y., M. Terenaka, K. Yora, and H. Asuyama. 1967. Mycoplasma or PLT-group-like microorganisms found in the phloem elements of plants infected with mulberry dwarf, potato witches-broom, aster yellows, paulownia witches-broom. Ann. Phytopathol. Soc. Japan 33:259–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Euzéby, J. P. 1997. List of bacterial names with standing in nomenclature: a folder available on the internet. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 47:590–592.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Fanrong, K., G. James, M. Zhenfang, S. Gordon, B. Wang, and G. L. Gilbert. 1999. Phylogenetic analysis of Ureaplasma urealyticum - support for the establishment of a new species, Ureaplasma parvum. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 49:1879–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Foley, J. E., and N. C. Pedersen. 2001. “Candidates Mycoplasma haemominutum”, a low-virulence epierythrocytic parasite of cats. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:815–817.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Fox, G. E., J. D. Wisotzkey and P. Jurtshuk, Jr. 1992. How close is close: 16S rRNA sequence identity may not be sufficient to guarantee species identity. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 42:166–170.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fraser, C. M., J. D. Gocayne, O. White, et al. 1995. The minimal gene complement of Mycoplasma genitalium. Science 270:397–403.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fukatsu, T., T. Tsuchida, N. Nikoh, and R. Koga. 2001. Spiroplasma symbiont of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Insecta: Homoptera). Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 67:1284–1291.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Garrity, G. M. (ed.). 2001. Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 1. 2nd edition. Springer-Verlag, N.Y., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Garrity, G. M., and J. G. Holt. 2001. The road map to the manual, p. 119–166. In G. Garrity (ed.), Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 1. 2nd edition. Springer-Verlag, N.Y., New York.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  25. Glass, J. I., E. J. Lefkowitz, J. S. Glass, C. R. Heiner, E. Y. Chen, and G. H. Cassell. 2000. The complete sequence of the mucosal pathogen Ureaplasma urealyticum. Nature 407:757–762.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Gunderson, D. E., I.-M. Lee, S. A. Rehner, R. A. Davis, and D. T. Kingsbury. 1994. Phylogeny of mycoplasmalike organisms (phytoplasmas): a basis for their classification. J. Bacteriol. 176:5244–5254.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Gürtler, V., and B. C. Mayall. 2001. Genomic approaches to typing, taxonomy and evolution of bacterial isolates. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 50:3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Harrison, N. A. 1999. Phytoplasma taxonomy. Proceedings of the First Internet Conference on Phytopathogenic Mollicutes. (URL: http://www.uniud.it/phytoplasma/conf.html).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Heldtander, M., B. Pettersson, J. G. Tully, and K.-E. Johansson. 1998. Sequences of the 16S rRNA genes and phylogeny of the goat mycoplasmas; Mycoplasma adleri, Mycoplasma auris, Mycoplasma cottewii, and Mycoplasma yeatsii. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 48:263–268.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Heldtander, M., H. Wesonga, G. Bölske, B. Pettersson, and K.-E. Johansson. 2001. Genetic diversity and evolution of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae strains from eastern Africa assessed by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Vet. Microbiol. 78:13–28.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Heldtander Königsson, M. 2001. Ph.D. thesis. Phylogeny, diversity, detection: multiple uses of 16S rRNA genes in veterinary bacteriology. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Uppsala, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  32. Heldtander Königsson, M., B. Pettersson, and K.-E. Johansson. 1998. Phylogeny of the seal mycoplasmas; Mycoplasma phocae corrig., Mycoplasma phocicerebrale corrig., and Mycoplasma phocirhinis corrig. based on sequence analysis of 16S rDNA. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 51:1389–1393.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Himmelreich, R., H. Hilbert, H. Plagens, E. Pirkl, B. C. Li, and R. Herrmann. 1996. Complete sequence analysis of the genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Nucleic Acids Res. 24:4420–4449.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Hugenholtz, P., B. M. Goebel, and N. R. Pace. 1998. Impact of culture-independent studies on the emerging phylogenetic view of bacterial diversity. J. Bacteriol. 180:4765–4774.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes. 1995. Revised minimum standards for description of new species of the class Mollicutes (division Tenericutes). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:605–612.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Johansson, K.-E., M. U. K. Heldtander, and B. Pettersson. 1998. Characterization of mycoplasmas by PCR and sequence analysis with universal 16S rDNA primers, p. 145–165. In R. J. Miles and R. A. J. Nicholas (ed.), Methods in molecular biology. Vol. 104. Mycoplasma protocols. Humana Press Inc., Totowa, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Johansson, K.-E., J. G. Tully, G. Bölske, and B. Pettersson. 1999. Mycoplasma cavipharyngis and Mycoplasma fastidiosum, the closest relatives to Eperythrozoon spp. and Haemobartonella spp. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 174:321–326.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Keswani, J., and W. B. Whitman. 2001. Relationship of 16S rRNA sequence similarity to DNA hybridization in prokaryotes. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51, 667–678.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Kirchhoff, H., P. Beyene, J. Flossdorf, J Heitmann, B. Khattab, D. Llopatta, R. Rosengarten, G. Seidel, and C. Yousef. 1987. Mycoplasma mobile sp. nov., a new species from fish. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 37:192–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Kimura, M. 1983. The neutral theory of molecular evolution. Cambridge University Press, N.Y. New York.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  41. Lan, R., and P. R. Reeves. 2000. Intraspecies variation in bacterial genomes: the need for a species genome concept. Trends Microbiol. 8:396–401.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Lee, I.-M., R. E. Davis, and D. E. Gundersen-Rindal. 2000. Phytoplasma: phytopathogenic mollicutes. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 54:221–255.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Ludwig, W., and Schleifer, K. H. 1999. Phylogeny of bacteria beyond the 16S rRNA standard. ASM News 65:752–757.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Ludwig, W., O. Strunk, S. Klugbauer, N. Klugbauer, M. Weizenegger, J. Neumaier, M. Bachleitner, and K. H. Schleifer. 1998. Bacterial phylogeny based on comparative sequence analysis. Electrophoresis 19:554–568.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Maiden, M. C., J. A. Bygraves, E. Feil, G. Morelli, J. E. Russell, R. Urwin, Q. Zhang, J. Zhou, K. Zurth, D. A. Caugant, I. M. Feavers, M. Achtman, and B. G. Spratt. (1998). Multilocus sequence typing: a portable approach to the identification of clones within populations of pathogenic microorganisms. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:3140–3145.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Messick, J. B., P. G. Walker, W. Raphael, L. Berent, and X. Shi. 2002. “Candidates Mycoplasma haemodidelphis” sp. nov., “Candidates Mycoplasma haemolama” sp. nov. and “Candidates Mycoplasma haemocanis” comb, nov., haemotropic parasites from a naturally infected opossum (Didelphis virginiana), alpaca (Lama pocos) and dog (Canis familiaris): phylogenetic and secondary structural relatedness of their 16S rRNA genes to other mycoplasmas. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. In press.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Montano, H. G., R. E. Davis, E. L. Dally, S. Hogenhout, J. P. Pimentel, and P. S. Brioso. 2001. ‘Candidates Phytoplasma brasiliense’, a new phytoplasma taxon associated with hibiscus witches’ broom disease. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:1109–1118.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Murray, R. G., and Schleifer, K.-H. 1994. Taxonomic note: a proposal for recording the properties pf putative taxa of procaryotes. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44:174–176.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Murray, R. G., and E Stackebrandt. 1995. Taxonomic note: implementation of the provisional status Candidatus for incompletely described procaryotes. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 45:186–187.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Neimark, H., K.-E. Johansson, Y. Rikihisa, and J. G. Tully. 2001. Proposal to transfer some members of the genera Haemobartonella and Eperythrozoon to the genus Mycoplasma with description of “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemofelis”, “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemomuris”, “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemosuis” and “Candidatus Mycoplasma wenyonii”. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:891–899.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Neimark, H., D. Mitchelmore, and R. H. Leach. 1998. An approach to characterizing uncultivated prokaryotes: the grey lung agent and proposal of a “Candidatus Mycoplasma ravipulmonis”. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:389–394.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Nelson, K. E., I. T. Paulsen, and C. M. Fraser. 2001. Microbial genome sequencing: a window into evolution and physiology. ASM News 67:310–317.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Olsen, G. J., and C. R. Woese. 1993. Ribosomal RNA: a key to phylogeny. FASEB J. 7:113–123.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Persson, A., B. Pettersson, G. Bölske, and K.-E. Johansson. 1999. Diagnosis of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia by PCR-LIF and PCR-REA based on the 16S rRNA genes of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37:3815–3821.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Pettersson, B. 1997. Ph.D. thesis. Direct solid-phase 16S rDNA sequencing: a tool in bacterial phylogeny. Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Pettersson, B., G. Bölske, F. Thiaucourt, M. Uhlén, and K.-E. Johansson. 1998. Molecular evolution of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae strains, based on polymorphisms in the 16S rRNA genes. J. Bacteriol. 180:2350–2358.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Pettersson, B., T. Leitner, M. Ronaghi, G. Bölske, M. Uhlén, and K.-E. Johansson. 1996. Phylogeny of the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster as determined by sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA genes from two rRNA Operons. J. Bacteriol. 178:4131–4142.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Pettersson, B., K.-E. Johansson, and M. Uhlén. 1994. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA from mycoplasmas by direct solid phase DNA sequencing. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:2456–2461.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Pettersson, B., J. G. Tully, G. Bölske, and K.-E. Johansson. 2000. Updated phylogenetic description of the Mycoplasma hominis cluster (Weisburg et al., 1989) based on 16S rDNA sequences. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 50:291–301.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Pettersson, B., J. G. Tully, G. Bölske, and K.-E. Johansson. 2001. Re-evaluation of the classical Mycoplasma lipophilum cluster (Weisburg et al, 1989) and description of two new clusters in the hominis group based on 16S rDNA sequences. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:633–643.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Pettersson, B., M. Uhlén, and K.-E. Johansson. 1996. Phylogeny of some mycoplasmas from ruminants based on 16S rRNA sequences and definition of a new cluster within the hominis group. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 46:1093–198.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Priest, F., and B. Austin. 1993. Modern Bacterial Taxonomy. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Razin, S. 2000. The genus Mycoplasma, and related genera (class Mollicutes). In M. Dworkin, S. Falkow, E. Rosenberg, K.-H. Schleifer, and E. Stackebrandt (eds.), The prokaryotes. An evolving electronic resource for the microbiological community, 3rd edition, Springer-Verlag, New York. (URL: http://www.prokaryotes.com).

    Google Scholar 

  64. Razin, S., D. Yogev, and Y. Naot. 1998. Molecular biology and pathogenicity of Mycoplasmas. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62:1094–1156.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Robertson, J. A., G. W. Stemke, J. W. Davis Jr, R. Harasawa, D. Thirkell, F. Kong, M. C. Shepard and D. K. Ford. 2001. Proposal of Ureaplasma parvum sp. nov. and amended description of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Shepard et al. 1974) Robertson et al 2002. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 52:587–597.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Ros Bascuñana, C., J. G. Mattsson, G. Bölske, and K.-E. Johansson. 1994. Characterization of the 16S rRNA gene from Mycoplasma sp. strain F38 and development of an identification system based on the polymerase chain reaction. J. Bacteriol. 176:2577–2586.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Roselló-Mora, R., and R. Amann. 2001. The species concept for prokaryotes. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 25:39–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Saglio, P., M. L’Hospital, D. Laflèche, G. Dupont, J. M. Bové, J. G. Tully, and E. A. Freundt. 1973. Spiroplasma citri gen. and sp. n.: a new mycoplasma-like organism associated with “stubborn” disease of citrus. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 23:191–204.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Sanger, F., S. Niklen, and R. Coulson. 1977. DNA sequencing with chain terminating inhibitors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74:5463–5467.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Seemüller, E., C. Marcone, U. Lauer, A. Ragazzoni, and M. Göschl. 1998. Current status of molecular classification of the phytoplasmas. J. Plant Pathol. 80:3–26.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Shepard, M. C., C. D. Lunceford, D. K. Ford, R. H. Purcell, D. Taylor-Robinson, S. Razin, and F. T. Black. 1974. Ureaplasma urealyticum gen. nov., sp. nov: proposed nomenclature for the human T (T-strain) mycoplasma. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 24:160–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. Sneath, P. H. A. (ed.). 1992. International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  73. Stackebrandt, E., and B. M. Goebel. 1994. Taxonomic note: a place for DNA-DNA reassociation and 16S rRNA sequence analysis in the present species definition in bacteriology. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44:846–849.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Stackebrandt, E., and P. Schümann. 2000. Defining taxonomic ranks. In M. Dwozkin, S. Falkow, E. Rosenberg, K. H. Schleifer, and E. Stackebrandt (eds.), The prokaryotes. An evolving electronic resource for the microbiological community, 3rd edition, Springer-Verlag, New York. (URL: http://www.prokaryotes.com).

    Google Scholar 

  75. Tully, J. G., J. M. Bove, F. Laigret, and R. F. Whitcomb. 1993. Revised taxonomy of the class Mollicutes: proposed elevation of a monophyletic cluster of arthropod-associated mollicutes to ordinal rank (Entomoplasmatales ord. nov.), with provision for familial rank to separate species with nonhelical morphology (Entomoplasmataceae fam. nov.) from helical species (Spiroplasmataceae), and emended descriptions of the order Mycoplasmatales, family Mycoplasmataceae. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 43:378–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  76. Tully, J. G., and S. Razin. (ed.). 1996. Appendix in Molecular and Diagnostic Procedures in Mycoplasmology. Vol. II. Diagnostic Procedures. Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. USA.

    Google Scholar 

  77. Tully, J. G., and R. F. Whitcomb. 2000. The genus Spiroplasma. In M. Dwozkin, S. Falkow, E. Rosenberg, K. H. Schleifer, and E. Stackebrandt (eds.), The prokaryotes. An evolving electronic resource for the microbiological community, 3rd edition, Springer-Verlag, New York. (URL: http://www.prokaryotes.com).

    Google Scholar 

  78. Tully, J. G., R. F. Whitcomb, K. J. Hackett, D. L. Rose, R. B. Henegar, J. M. Bové, P. Carle, D. L. Williamson, and T. B. Clark. 1994. Taxonomic descriptions of eight new non-sterol-requiring mollicutes assigned to the genus Mesoplasma. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44:685–693.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  79. Tully, J. G., R. F. Whitcomb, K. J. Hackett, D. L. Williamson, F. Laigret, P. Carle, J. M. Bové, R. B. Henegar, N. M. Ellis, D. E. Dodge, and J. Adams. 1998. Entomoplasma freundtii sp. nov., a new species from a green tiger beetle (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1197–1204.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Vandamme, P., B. Pot, M. Gillis, P. De Vos, K. Kersters, and J. Swings. 1996. Polyphasic taxonomy, a consensus approach to bacterial systematics. Microbiol. Rev. 60:407–438.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. Wang, Y., and Z. Zhang. 2000. Comparative sequence analyses reveal frequent occurrence of short segments containing an abnormally high number of non-random base variations in bacterial rRNA genes. Microbiol. 146:2845–2854

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. Weisburg, W. G., J. G. Tully, D. L. Rose, J. P. Petzel, H. Oyaizu, D. Young, L. Mandelco, J. Sechrest, T. G. Lawrence, J. Van Etten, J. Maniloff, and C. R. Woese. 1989. A phylogenetic analysis of mycoplasmas: basis for their classifycation. J. Bacteriol. 171:6455–6467.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  83. Whitcomb, R. F., D. L. Williamson, G. E. Gasparich, J. G. Tully, and F. E. French. 1999. Spiroplasma taxonomy. Proceedings of the First Internet Conference on Phytopathogenic Mollicutes. (URL: http://www.uniud.it/phytoplasma/conf.html).

    Google Scholar 

  84. Williamson, D. L., R. F. Whitcomb, J. G. Tully, G. E. Gasparich, D. L. Rose, P. Carle, J. M. Bové, K. J. Hackett, J. R. Adams, R. B. Henegar, M. Konai, C. Chastel, F. E. French. 1998. Revised group classification of the genus Spiroplasma. Int. J. Bacteriol. 48:1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  85. Woese, C. R. 1987. Bacterial evolution. Microbiol. Rev. 51:221–271.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  86. Woese, C. R. 2000. Interpreting the universal phylogenetic tree. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:8392–8396.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  87. Woese, C. R. 2000. Prokaryote systematics: The evolution of a science. In M. Dwozkin, S. Falkow, E. Rosenberg, K.-H. Schleifer, and E. Stackebrandt (eds.), The prokaryotes. An evolving electronic resource for the microbiological community, 3rd edition, Springer-Verlag, New York. (URL: http//:www. prokaryotes.com)

    Google Scholar 

  88. Woese, C. R., O. Kandier, and M. L. Wheelis. 1990. Towards a natural system of organisms: proposal for the domains Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 87:4576–4579.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  89. Young, J. M. 2001. Implications of alternative classifications and horizontal gene transfer for bacterial taxonomy. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:945–953.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  90. Zuckerkandl, E., and L. Pauling. 1965. Molecules as documents of evolutionary history. J. Theor. Biol. 8:357–366.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bacteriology, National Veterinary Institute, SE-751 89, Uppsala, Sweden

    Karl-Erik Johansson

  2. Division of Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Stockholm Centre for Physics, Astronomy and Biotechnology (SCFAB), Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Bertil Pettersson

Authors
  1. Karl-Erik Johansson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bertil Pettersson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

    Shmuel Razin

  2. University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Richard Herrmann

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Johansson, KE., Pettersson, B. (2002). Taxonomy of Mollicutes . In: Razin, S., Herrmann, R. (eds) Molecular Biology and Pathogenicity of Mycoplasmas. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47606-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47606-1_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-8232-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-47606-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation