MYCOPLASMA-COROGYPSI SP-NOV, A NEW SPECIES FROM THE FOOTPAD ABSCESS OF A BLACK VULTURE, CORAGYPS-ATRATUS

Strain BV1 was isolated from the exudate of the footpad abscess of a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). The colonies had a ''fried-egg'' appearance consistent with that of mycoplasmal species. Electron microscopic examination of the cells revealed irregular elongated or elliptical forms and smaller circular budding processes. Profuse growth was observed in Frey medium supplemented with 20% swine serum at 37-degrees-C in a humidified atmosphere of 10% CO2 and air. Typical of mycoplasma, strain BV1 required sterol for growth and catabolized glucose but did not hydrolyze arginine or urea. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 28 mol%. The organism demonstrated the ability to hemolyze, absorb onto, and agglutinate the erythrocytes from several animal species. Strain BV1 was serologically unrelated bv the growth inhibition test to previously established Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, Entomoplasma, and Mesoplasma species, as well as to strains belonging to these genera but not identified to species level. Moreover, BV1 had a 16S rRNA gene with a nucleotide sequence distinct from reported sequences of other mycoplasmas. This organism represents a new species for which the name Mycoplasma corogypsi is proposed. Strain BV1 (ATCC 51148T) is the type strain of Mycoplasma corogypsi sp. nov.