Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma haemofelis
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom: Bacillati
Phylum: Mycoplasmatota
Class: Mollicutes
Order: Mycoplasmatales
Family: Mycoplasmataceae
Genus:
J.Nowak 1929
Type species
Mycoplasma mycoides
(Borrel et al. 1910) Freundt 1955 (Approved Lists 1980)
Species

See text

Synonyms
  • "Asterococcus" Borrel et al. 1910 non Scherffel 1908 non Borkhsenius 1960
  • "Asteromyces" Wroblewski 1931 non Moreau & Moreau ex Hennebert 1962
  • "Borrelomyces" Turner 1935
  • "Bovimyces" Sabin 1941
  • Haemobartonella Tyzzer & Weinman 1939
  • "Pleuropneumonia" Tulasne & Brisou 1955
Mycoplasmosis
SpecialtyInfectious disease

Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class Mollicutes, lack a cell wall (peptidoglycan) around their cell membrane.[1] The absence of peptidoglycan makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics such as the beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. They can be parasitic or saprotrophic.[2]

In casual speech, the name "mycoplasma" (plural mycoplasmas or mycoplasms) generally refers to all members of the class Mollicutes. In formal scientific classification, the designation Mycoplasma refers exclusively to the genus, a member of the Mycoplasmataceae, the only family in the order Mycoplasmatales (see "scientific classification"). In 2018, Mycoplasma was split with many clinically significant species moved to other genera in Mollicutes; see the page Mollicutes for an overview.

  1. ^ Ryan KJ, Ray CG, eds. (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 409–12. ISBN 978-0-8385-8529-0.
  2. ^ Larsen B, Hwang J (2010). "Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Fresh Look". Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010: 1–7. doi:10.1155/2010/521921. ISSN 1064-7449. PMC 2913664. PMID 20706675.