Mycoplasma_agassizii
Mycoplasma agassizii
Species of bacterium
Mycoplasma agassizii is a species of bacteria in the genus Mycoplasma. This genus of bacteria lacks a cell wall around their cell membrane.[1] Without a cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics such as penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. Mycoplasma are the smallest bacterial cells yet discovered,[2] can survive without oxygen and are typically about 0.1 µm in diameter.
Cultures are available from the Mollicutes Culture Collection (Curators Dr. J.K. Davis and M.K. Davidson, University of Florida).[3] This mycoplasma species was originally isolated from a species of desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii which was named for by Louis Agassiz.[3][4]
Since its discovery, it has been recovered from other species of tortoises:[citation needed]
- Geochelone chilensis or Chaco tortoise
- Geochelone pardalis or Leopard tortoise
- Geochelone elegans or Indian star tortoise
- Geochelone forstenii or Travancore tortoise
- Geochelone sulcate or African spurred tortoise
- Gopherus agassizii or desert tortoise
- Gopherus polyphemus or Gopher tortoise
- Indotestudo species
- Terrapene carolina bauri or Florida box turtle
- Testudo graeca graeca or Spur-thighed tortoise
- Testudo graeca ibera or Spur-thighed tortoise [4]
The type strain is PS6 = ATCC 700616 = CCUG 53180 and available from the Mollicutes Culture Collection, University of Florida.[3]
