title: A phylogenetic analysis of the mycoplasmas: basis for their classification.
abstract: Small-subunit rRNA sequences were determined for almost 50 species of mycoplasmas and their walled relatives, providing the basis for a phylogenetic systematic analysis of these organisms. Five groups of mycoplasmas per se were recognized (provisional names are given): the hominis group (which included species such as Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma lipophilum, Mycoplasma pulmonis, and Mycoplasma neurolyticum), the pneumoniae group (which included species such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma muris), the spiroplasma group (which included species such as Mycoplasma mycoides, Spiroplasma citri, and Spiroplasma apis), the anaeroplasma group (which encompassed the anaeroplasmas and acholeplasmas), and a group known to contain only the isolated species Asteroleplasma anaerobium. In addition to these five mycoplasma groups, a sixth group of variously named gram-positive, walled organisms (which included lactobacilli, clostridia, and other organisms) was also included in the overall phylogenetic unit. In each of these six primary groups, subgroups were readily recognized and defined. Although the phylogenetic units identified by rRNA comparisons are difficult to recognize on the basis of mutually exclusive phenotypic characters alone, phenotypic justification can be given a posteriori for a number of them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Weisburg
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Tully
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Petzel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oyaizu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandelco
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sechrest
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Etten
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal