FAMILY I. MYCOPLASMATACEAE 



919 



broth cultures do not discolor suspensions 

 of horse erythrocj'tes. 



Coagulated blood serum: No liquefaction. 



Hj'drogen sulfide production is slight. 



Carbohydrates not attacked. 



Methylene blue is rapidly reduced. 



Aerobic; poor growth under anaerobic con- 

 ditions. 



Serologically different from Mycoplasma 

 mycoides var. mycoides and M. mycoides var. 

 capri. 



Pathogenicity : Goats are more susceptible 

 than sheep to experimental infection by sub- 

 cutaneous inoculation; the inflammatory 

 lesions are localized in the udders of females 

 and, in 10 to 20 per cent of the cases, in the 

 joints. Non-pathogenic for mice and other 

 laboratory animals. 



Source: Isolated from cases of contagious 

 agalactia of sheep and goats. 



Habitat: The etiological agent of contagi- 

 ous agalactia of sheep and goats. 



4. Mycoplasma spiimans Edward, 1955. 

 (a strains of dogs, Edward and Fitzgerald, 

 Jour. Gen. Microbiol., 5, 1951, 566; Edward, 

 in Freundt, Internat. Bull, of Bact. Nomen. 

 and Taxon., 5, 1955, 73; see Edward, In- 

 ternat. Bull, of Bact. Nomen. and Taxon., 

 5, 1955, 90.) 



spu'mans. L. part. adj. spumans foaming. 



Unstable and sparsely branched mycelioid 

 structure with very short, almost bacillary 

 filaments which usually measure 2 to 5 

 microns in length (Freundt, unpublished ob- 

 servation). Gram-negative. 



Horse-serum agar: Upon initial isolation 

 and in early subcultures, the colonies are 

 coarsely reticulated, and the centers con- 

 tain large globules; colonial characteristics 

 are lost on repeated subculture. Neither film 

 nor spots are produced. 



Horse-blood agar: Trace of hemolj^sis. 



Rabbit-serum agar: Poor growth. 



Semi-solid media: Growth throughout the 

 medium is neither definitely smooth nor 

 definitely granular. 



Carbohydrates not attacked. 



Methylene blue is slowly reduced. 



Aerobic, facultatively anaerobic. 



Serologically distinct from the other mem- 

 bers of this genus by agglutinin adsorption 

 and complement fixation tests. 



Pathogenicity: Unknown. 

 Source: Isolated from the vagina and 

 semen of dogs. 



5. Mycoplasma canis Edward, 1955. (/3 

 strains of dogs, Edward and Fitzgerald, 

 Jour. Gen. Microbiol., 5, 1951, 566; Edward, 

 in Freundt, Internat. Bull, of Bact. Nomen. 

 and Taxon., 5, 1955, 73; see Edward, Inter- 

 nat. Bull, of Bact. Nomen. and Taxon., 5, 

 1955, 90.) 



ca'nis. L. noun canis the dog. 



Unstable and sparsely branched mycelioid 

 structure with very short, almost bacillary 

 filaments which usually measure 2 to 5 

 microns in length (Freundt, unpublished ob- 

 servation). Gram-negative. 



Horse-serum agar: Relativelj^ large colo- 

 nies with poorly developed central spots in 

 early subcultures. Neither film nor spots are 

 produced. 



Horse-blood agar: Pronounced alpha he- 

 molysis. 



Rabbit-serum agar: Good growth. 



Semi -solid media: Growth throughout the 

 medium is usually neither definitely smooth 

 nor definitely granular; a few strains pro- 

 duce a typical smooth growth. 



Carbohydrates not attacked. 



Methylene blue is reduced rather rapidly. 



Aerobic, facultatively anaerobic. 



Serologically distinct from the other mem- 

 bers of this genus. 



Pathogenicity: Unknown. 



Source: Isolated from the throats and 

 genital tracts of dogs. 



Habitat: Commonly found in the genital 

 tract and throat of dogs. 



6. Mycoplasma maculosiim Edward, 

 1955. (7 strains of dogs, Edward and Fitz- 

 gerald, Jour. Gen. Microbiol., 5, 1951, 566; 

 Edward, in Freundt, Internat. Bull, of Bact. 

 Nomen. and Taxon., 5, 1955,73; see Edward, 

 Internat. Bull, of Bact. Nomen. and Taxon., 

 5, 1955, 90.) 



ma.cu.lo'sum. L. adj. niaculosus spotted. 



Unstable and sparsely branched mycelioid 

 structure with very short, almost bacillary 

 filaments which usually measure 2 to 5 mi- 

 crons in length (Freundt, unpublished ob- 

 servation). Gram-negative. 



Horse-serum agar: A film and spots are 

 produced. 



