''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' is a

bacterium 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 ...

belonging to the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Ureaplasma ''Ureaplasma'' is a genus of bacteria belonging to the family Mycoplasmataceae. As the name imples, ''Ureaplasma'' is urease positive. Phylogeny The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenc ...

'' and the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Mycoplasmataceae Mycoplasmataceae is a family of bacteria in the order Mycoplasmatales. This family consists of the genera ''Mycoplasma'' and ''Ureaplasma''. In 1967, the order Mycoplasmatales was incorporated into the class Mollicutes. Many species are sexuall ...

in the order

Mycoplasmatales Mycoplasmataceae is a family of bacteria in the order Mycoplasmatales. This family consists of the genera ''Mycoplasma'' and ''Ureaplasma''. In 1967, the order Mycoplasmatales was incorporated into the class Mollicutes. Many species are sexuall ...

. This family consists of the genera ''

Mycoplasma ''Mycoplasma'' is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class ''Mollicutes'', lack a cell wall around their cell membranes. Peptidoglycan (murein) is absent. This characteristic makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics ...

'' and ''

''. Its

type strain The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) formerly the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) or Bacteriological Code (BC) governs the scientific names for Bacteria and Archaea.P. H. A. Sneath, 2003. A short histor ...

is T960. There are two known

biovar A biovar is a variant prokaryotic strain that differs physiologically or biochemically from other strains in a particular species. Morphovars (or morphotypes) are those strains that differ morphologically. Serovars (or serotypes) are those strain ...

s of this species; T960 and 27. These strains of bacterium are commonly found in the

urogenital tract The genitourinary system, or urogenital system, are the organs of the reproductive system and the urinary system. These are grouped together because of their proximity to each other, their common embryological origin and the use of common pathwa ...

s of human beings, but overgrowth can lead to infections that cause the patient discomfort. Unlike most bacteria, ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' lacks a

cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mech ...

making it unique in physiology and medical treatment.

Classification

The six recognised ''Ureaplasma''

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

have a

GC content In molecular biology and genetics, GC-content (or guanine-cytosine content) is the percentage of nitrogenous bases in a DNA or RNA molecule that are either guanine (G) or cytosine (C). This measure indicates the proportion of G and C bases out o ...

of 27 to 30 percent and a

genome size Genome size is the total amount of DNA contained within one copy of a single complete genome. It is typically measured in terms of mass in picograms (trillionths (10−12) of a gram, abbreviated pg) or less frequently in daltons, or as the total ...

ranging from 0.76 to 1.17 million

base pairs A base pair (bp) is a fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acids consisting of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA double helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA ...

, and

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

is required for

growth Growth may refer to: Biology * Auxology, the study of all aspects of human physical growth * Bacterial growth * Cell growth * Growth hormone, a peptide hormone that stimulates growth * Human development (biology) * Plant growth * Secondary growth ...

. A defining characteristic of the genus is that they perform

urea Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid. Urea serves an important r ...

hydrolysis Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution reaction, substitution, elimination reaction, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water ...

, which creates ammonia as a product. Some strains originally classified as ''U. urealyticum'' should be treated as a new species, '' U. parvum''. Both strains of U''reaplasma urealyticum'' have had their DNA sequenced, using a PCR amplification and dideoxy termination method. Their sequences can be accessed through public records and databases. Most of the16S rDNA sequence of the two strains constitute the exact same nucleotides bases (97.3% homology), yet small differences have been acknowledged. Due to the direct similarity and the increased variation in other species of ''Ureaplasma'', it is thought that the two strains of ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' (T960 and 27) have evolutionary diverged together. In the same study conducted, using the same 16s rDNA aligned sequences, they concluded all the mammalian strains diverged and coevolved with their corresponding species (canine, feline, human, bovine) during the Cretaceous period. It was found that the most closely related species strain of ''Ureaplasma'' to ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' was ''Ureaplasma diversum'' (isolated from bovine).

Clinical relevance

''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' can cause

urethritis Urethritis is the inflammation of the urethra. The most common symptoms include painful or difficult urination and urethral discharge. It is a commonly treatable condition usually caused by infection with bacteria. This bacterial infection is oft ...

and may cause

bacterial vaginosis Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a disease of the vagina caused by excessive growth of bacteria. Common symptoms include increased vaginal discharge that often smells like fish. The discharge is usually white or gray in color. Burning with urination ...

Infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

can occur in extragenital sites. A common symptom associated with these infections is the "fishy" smell that is created due to the production of ammonia by the hydrolysis of urea. Patients should confirm diagnosis with a doctor. The bacterium has high correlations with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). It has also been linked to

infertility Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal state ...

in both males and females. In addition, this pathogen may latently infect the

chorionic villi Chorionic villi are villi that sprout from the chorion to provide maximal contact area with maternal blood. They are an essential element in pregnancy from a histomorphologic perspective, and are, by definition, a product of conception. Branche ...

tissues of pregnant women, thereby impacting pregnancy outcome. Issues that arise from ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' infections during pregnancy include preterm birth and impacted embryonic development. Some patients have given birth to children subjected to

bronchopulmonary dysplasia Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; part of the spectrum of chronic lung disease of infancy) is a chronic lung disease in which premature infants, usually those who were treated with supplemental oxygen, require long-term oxygen. The alveoli that are ...

Intraventricular hemorrhage Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), also known as intraventricular bleeding, is a bleeding into the brain's ventricular system, where the cerebrospinal fluid is produced and circulates through towards the subarachnoid space. It can result from phys ...

, and

necrotizing enterocolitis Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease that affects premature or very low birth weight infants.Gephart S.M., Quinn M. A call to action to fight for equity and end necrotizing enterocolitis disparities. ''Adv. Neonata ...

. Patients can evolve resistances to normal

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

treatments due to the distinctive physiology of these organisms. Patients who are pregnant have further limitations on the treatment course of a ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' infection, making it far harder to successfully cure.

References

External links

*
Ureaplasma Genome Projects
fro
Genomes OnLine Database

Type strain of ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q137110 urealyticum Sexually transmitted diseases and infections Infectious causes of cancer Infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission Bacterial vaginosis Bacteria described in 1974

Classification

Clinical relevance

See also

References

External links