title: Examination of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer sequences of 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos' and Mycoplasma haemofelis.
abstract: The intergenic spacer region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes of mycoplasmas has been used for a genetic marker for identification of the species. Here we show the intergenic spacer regions of two hemotropic mycoplasmas, Mycoplasma haemofelis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos (synonym: 'C. M. haemobovis')' are also useful for classification of this particular group of mycoplasms. The spacer region of M. haemofelis and `C. M. haemobos' consisted of 209 and 210 base pairs, respectively, and both lacked the spacer tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis suggested a monophyletic relationship among hemoplasmas and M. fastidiosum. A hypothetical secondary structure predicted in the spacer regions tentatively assigned the boxA and boxB motifs peculiar to the members of the genus Mycoplasma. M. haemofelis and 'C. M. haemobos' possessed a stem-loop structure in common, despite the presence of a palindromic nucleotide substitution in the stem region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sasaoka
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujihara
authors.forename: Yusaku
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Ryô
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harasawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S