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Spiroplasma Mirum
''Spiroplasma mirum'' is a bacterium in the genus ''Spiroplasma ''Spiroplasma'' is a genus of Mollicutes, a group of small bacteria without cell walls. ''Spiroplasma'' shares the simple metabolism, parasitic lifestyle, fried-egg colony morphology and small genome of other ''Mollicutes'', but has a distinctive ...''. A strain of it, called ''Spiroplasma mirum'' strain SMCA (Suckling mouse cataract agent), causes cataracts in suckling mice. References External linksType strain of ''Spiroplasma mirum'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase Mollicutes Bacteria described in 1982 {{mollicutes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacteria inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust. Bacteria are vital in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients such as the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere. The nutrient cycle includes the decomposition of dead bodies; bacteria are responsible for the putrefaction stage in this process. In the biological communities surrounding hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, extremophile bacteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane, to energy. Bacteria also live in symbiotic and parasitic relationsh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiroplasma
''Spiroplasma'' is a genus of Mollicutes, a group of small bacteria without cell walls. ''Spiroplasma'' shares the simple metabolism, parasitic lifestyle, fried-egg colony morphology and small genome of other ''Mollicutes'', but has a distinctive helical morphology, unlike ''Mycoplasma''. It has a spiral shape and moves in a corkscrew motion. Many ''Spiroplasma'' are found either in the gut or haemolymph of insects where they can act to manipulate host reproduction, or defend the host as endosymbionts. ''Spiroplasma'' are also disease-causing agents in the phloem of plants. Spiroplasmas are fastidious organisms, which require a rich culture medium. Typically they grow well at 30 °C, but not at 37 °C. A few species, notably '' Spiroplasma mirum'', grow well at 37 °C (human body temperature), and cause cataracts and neurological damage in suckling mice. The best studied species of spiroplasmas are ''Spiroplasma poulsonii'', a reproductive manipulator and defensive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mollicutes
Mollicutes is a class of bacteria distinguished by the absence of a cell wall. The word "Mollicutes" is derived from the Latin ''mollis'' (meaning "soft" or "pliable"), and ''cutis'' (meaning "skin"). Individuals are very small, typically only 0.2–0.3 μm (200-300 nm) in size and have a very small genome size. They vary in form, although most have sterols that make the cell membrane somewhat more rigid. Many are able to move about through gliding, but members of the genus ''Spiroplasma'' are helical and move by twisting. The best-known genus in the Mollicutes is ''Mycoplasma''. Colonies show the typical "fried-egg" appearance. Mollicutes are parasites of various animals and plants, living on or in the host's cells. Many cause diseases in humans, attaching to cells in the respiratory or urogenital tracts, particularly species of ''Mycoplasma'' and ''Ureaplasma''. Phytoplasma and ''Spiroplasma'' are plant pathogens associated with insect vectors. Whereas formerly the trivial n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
