Mycoplasma: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis, examples, Topics

What Is Mycoplasma?

Mycoplasma is an unconventional member of the bacterial world belonging to the class called Mollicutes which lacks a cell wall. Originally identified in the last decade of the 19th century while investigating pleuropneumonia in cattle, Mycoplasma has been explored subsequently largely because of its pathogenic involvement with humans and animals.

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These bacteria are interesting as they are considered to be post-modern as they had gone through reductive evolution meaning they lack so many essential genes. Hence, these minimalistic cellular machinery offer the necessary vantage to study what is essentially needed for life and throw light on bacterial evolution and adaptation processes.

Structure And Characteristics Of Mycoplasma

The structure and characteristics of mycoplasma are listed below-

Cellular Structure

Mycoplasma bacteria do not possess a cell wall thus they cannot be killed by antibiotics that target the synthesis of cell walls, for instance, penicillin.

Membrane composition

Their cell membrane has sterols that bring stability and rigidity to the cell; this is not characteristic of other prokaryotes.

Mycoplasma are usually short rods or cocci but they can also be spherical to filamentous in shape as they are among the smallest bacteria.

Genomic Features

• Mycoplasma is one of the smallest genomes of any self-rep replicating organism which ranges from approximately 600-1,350 kilobase pairs.

• They have again least junk DNA and regulatory sequences in their links and their genes are compacted with maximum efficiency and fold with minimum non-coding sequences which contain mainly the survival genes.

• They have their particular genes and petite metabolic profiles because they have evolved from parasites that conduct many of their functions inside specific host cells.

Types And Classification

Classification

• Domain: Bacteria

• Phylum: Tenericutes

• Class: Mollicutes

• Order: Mycoplasmatales

• Family: Mycoplasmataceae

Common Species

• Mycoplasma pneumonia: It is a cause of atypical pneumonia as well as respiratory infections in humans.

• Mycoplasma genitalium: Jointly linked to urogenital infections and sexually transmitted diseases.

• Mycoplasma hominis: Associated with PID and other urogenital infections.

• Ureaplasma species: Comprises Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum organisms that are normally found in the genital area and may lead to infections.

Diseases

Respiratory Infections

Annual pneumonia is one of the backpackers’ arch-enemies responsible for atypical pneumonia, bronchitis, and other respiratory tract infections, most especially in children and adenoviruses young adults.

Urogenital Infections

M. genitalium and M. hominis are the pathogens responsible for urogenital infection; acute and chronic non-gonococcal urethritis, pelvic inflammatory diseases, and bacterial vaginosis.

Joint And Bone Infections

Mycoplasma species also contribute to septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in certain immunodeficient clients or where the client is suffering from other diseases or ailments.

Links To Chronic Diseases

Some Mycoplasma pathogens are known to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome which indicates that they may also aid the chronicity and/or worsening of the aforesaid diseases.

Prevention

Hygiene And Sanitation

• Adherence to measures such as hand washing and other cleanliness activities and measures.

• Some measures that need to be taken to help decrease Mycoplasma infections are the cleanliness of the common areas.

• Measures such as wearing a mask and staying away from close contact with infected people can help halt respiratory spread.

Vaccine Development

• As of now, there are no specific anti-Mycoplasma vaccines that are administered in the market.

• There is an attempt to continue with effective vaccines especially for Mycoplasma pneumonia since the pathogen affects the society’s health.

Conclusion

Knowledge of Mycoplasma is essential due to some features like the absence of strong cell walls, relatively small genome size, and multiplicity of disease manifestations that range from respiratory to urogenital. Subsequent research has revealed some important facts about its functionality, bacterial evolution and parasitic lifestyle and they are minimalistic and survivalistic. Current medical strategies of treatment and prevention, together with the identification of new antibiotics and potential vaccines for Mycoplasma, stress more efforts toward furthering experiments to defeat Mycoplasma-related diseases and enhance human well-being.

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