| Mycoplasma salivarium | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Mycoplasmatota |
| Class: | Mollicutes |
| Order: | Mycoplasmatales |
| Family: | Mycoplasmataceae |
| Genus: | Mycoplasma |
| Species: | M. salivarium |
| Binomial name | |
| Mycoplasma salivarium Edward 1955 | |
| Synonyms | |
"Asterococcus salivarius" (Edward 1955) Prévot 1961, "Schizoplasma salivarium" (Edward 1955) Furness 1970 | |
Mycoplasma salivarium (also known as Metamycoplasma salivarium) 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] and are typically about 0. 1 μm in diameter. Mycoplasma can survive without oxygen.
Mycoplasma salivarium is found in the mouths of 97% of the healthy population, [3] and is generally considered to be a commensal organism and part of the normal oral flora.
Mycoplasma salivarium has, however, been implicated in eye and ear disorders, oral infection, septic arthritis and periodontal disease. [4] This species has been isolated from synovial fluid from patients with chronic arthritis and from primates. [5] It has been recovered from a biliary stent. [6] It also was recovered from the pleural cavity of a hospitalized man who did not respond to the normal treatment of conventional antibiotics, [7] and it has been cultured from brain abscesses. [8] It has also been recently identified as a common finding in patients with ventilator-acquired pneumonia, a severe infection which can occur in patients in the intensive care unit, [9] and it may play a role in dampening down the immune response to other pathogens so allowing opportunistic infection to develop. [10]
The type strain is ATCC 23064 = IFO (now NBRC) 14478 = NCTC 10113. [11]
