Mycoplasmoidaceae is a family of bacteria under the order Mycoplasmoidales. It contains the genera '' Eperythrozoon'', '' Malacoplasma'', '' Mycoplasmoides'', and ''

Ureaplasma ''Ureaplasma'' is a genus of bacteria belonging to the family Mycoplasmataceae. As the name implies, ''Ureaplasma'' is urease positive. Phylogeny The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in No ...

''. Members infect animals, including humans. Before 2018, they were known as the "pneumoniae group" of ''

Mycoplasma ''Mycoplasma'' is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class ''Mollicutes'', lack a cell wall, and its peptidoglycan, around their cell membrane. The absence of peptidoglycan makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics ...

''. Many species are sexually transmitted and cause

pelvic inflammatory disease Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), also known as pelvic inflammatory disorder, is an infection of the upper part of the female reproductive system, mainly the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, and inside of the pelvis. Often, there may be no ...

Genera

''Eperythrozoon''

This genus includes the so-called "hemoplasmas", the uncultivated organisms that parasitise their hosts by adhering to erythrocytes.

''Mycoplasmoides''

This genus contains important human pathogens such as '' Mycoplasmoides genitalium'' and ''

Mycoplasmoides pneumoniae ''Mycoplasma pneumoniae'' is a species of very small-cell bacteria that lack a cell wall, in the class Mollicutes. ''M. pneumoniae'' is a human pathogen that causes the disease Mycoplasma pneumonia, a form of atypical bacterial pneumonia related ...

''.

''Malacoplsma''

This genus contains '' Malacoplasma penetrans'', a known human pathogen.

''Ureaplasma''

As the name implies, ureaplasma is

urease Ureases (), functionally, belong to the superfamily of amidohydrolases and phosphotriesterases. Ureases are found in numerous Bacteria, Archaea, fungi, algae, plants, and some invertebrates. Ureases are nickel-containing metalloenzymes of high ...

positive. This genera is distinct from other genera in

Mollicutes Mollicutes is a class of bacteria distinguished by the absence of a cell wall and its peptidoglycan. The word "Mollicutes" is derived from the Latin ' (meaning "soft" or "pliable"), and ' (meaning "skin"). Individuals are very small, typically on ...

in that it hydrolyses urea for generation of ATP.

''Ureaplasma'' ''spp.'' as human pathogens

Both '' Ureaplasma urealyticum'' and '' Ureaplasma parvum'' have been identified as important human pathogens, causing infection in the urogenital tract and, rarely, at distal sites. Their role in neonatal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes has been well established, and semantic classifications are changing to reflect the nature of the detrimental outcomes these infections are associated with. In the 2010s, '' Mycoplasmoides genitalium'' has been re-classified as an STI, and it is possible that with more research, ''Ureaplasma spp''. will follow this trend. Similar to other pathogens such as ''

Chlamydia trachomatis ''Chlamydia trachomatis'' () is a Gram-negative, Anaerobic organism, anaerobic bacterium responsible for Chlamydia infection, chlamydia and trachoma. ''C. trachomatis'' exists in two forms, an extracellular infectious elementary body (EB) and an ...

'', infection with ''Ureaplasma spp.'' is associated with adverse fertility outcomes in both men and women. Both cause

non-gonococcal urethritis Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is inflammation of the urethra that is not caused by gonorrheal infection. For treatment purposes, doctors usually classify infectious urethritis in two categories: gonococcal urethritis, caused by gonorrhea, and ...

. ''Ureaplasma spp.'' were implicated in conditions such as

prostatitis Prostatitis is an umbrella term for a variety of medical conditions that incorporate bacterial and non-bacterial origin illnesses in the pelvic region. In contrast with the plain meaning of the word (which means "inflammation of the prostate"), the ...

and chronic pelvic pain syndrome as early as the 1980s. Research in women has lagged several decades behind, but it is now becoming more clear how ''Ureaplasma spp.'' contribute to etiologies such as

interstitial cystitis Interstitial cystitis (IC), a type of bladder pain syndrome (BPS), is chronic pain in the Urinary bladder, bladder and pelvic floor of unknown cause. Symptoms include urinary urgency, feeling the need to urinate right away, urinary frequency, ...

/ painful bladder syndrome. ''Ureaplasma spp.'' are associated with alterations in host environment that increase susceptibility to other infections such as

bacterial vaginosis Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an infection of the vagina caused by excessive growth of bacteria. Common symptoms include increased vaginal discharge that often smells like fish. The discharge is usually white or gray in color. Burning with urina ...

and vaginal candidiasis. ''Ureaplasma spp.'' can cause

reactive arthritis Reactive arthritis, previously known as Reiter's syndrome, is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body (cross-reactivity). Coming into contact with bacteria and developing an infect ...

as well as directly infect the synovium. Some case studies have suggested a causative role in

complex regional pain syndrome Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS type 1 and type 2), sometimes referred to by the hyponyms reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) or reflex neurovascular dystrophy (RND), is a rare and severe form of neuroinflammatory and dysautonomic disorder ...

/ reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q123359007 Mollicutes Bacteria families