Ureaplasma urealyticum
| Ureaplasma urealyticum | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| A number of medium-sized, Ureaplasma urealyticum colonies, otherwise known as T-strain mycoplasma, under magnification of 500× | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Mycoplasmatota |
| Class: | Mollicutes |
| Order: | Mycoplasmoidales |
| Family: | Mycoplasmoidaceae |
| Genus: | Ureaplasma |
| Species: | U. urealyticum |
| Binomial name | |
| Ureaplasma urealyticum Shepard et al. 1974 (Approved Lists 1980) | |
Ureaplasma urealyticum is a bacterium belonging to the genus Ureaplasma and class Mollicutes. This family consists of the genera Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. Its type strain is T960. These strains of bacteria are commonly found as commensals in the urogenital tracts of human beings. Unlike most bacteria, Ureaplasma urealyticum lacks a cell wall making it unique in physiology and medical treatment.[1] Additionally, it hydrolyzes urea for energy metabolism processes. Its potential pathogenicity is being evaluated regarding urogenital, pregnancy, and neonatal conditions, however the clinical significance of detecting U. urealyticum remains uncertain for many conditions due to its asymptomatic tendencies.[2] Colonization is common and detection does not equate to disease.
Classification
[edit]Ureaplasma urealyticum is one of two Ureaplasma species commonly idenified within humans. At least 14 human Ureaplasma servors are divided between the two species: U. parvum contains servors 1,3,6 and 14, while U. urealyticum contains the remaining 10 servovars 2,4,5 and 7-13.[3]
A defining characteristic of the genus is that they perform urea hydrolysis, which creates ammonia as a product. Some strains originally classified as U. urealyticum should be treated as a new species, U. parvum.[4] Both strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum have had their DNA sequenced, using a PCR amplification and dideoxy termination method.[5] Their sequences can be accessed through public records and databases. Most of the 16S rDNA sequence of the two strains constitute the exact same nucleotides bases (97.3% homology), yet small differences have been acknowledged.[5] Due to the direct similarity and the increased variation in other species of Ureaplasma, it is thought that the two strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum (T960 and 27) have evolutionary diverged together. In the same study conducted, using the same 16s rDNA aligned sequences, they concluded all the mammalian strains diverged and coevolved with their corresponding species (canine, feline, human, bovine) during the Cretaceous period. It was found that the most closely related species strain of Ureaplasma to Ureaplasma urealyticum was Ureaplasma diversum (isolated from bovine).[5]
Microbiology
[edit]Gram staining
[edit]U. urealyticum represents one of the 14 distinct types within the Ureaplasma genus. Classified within the Mollicutes class, Ureaplasma species have undergone significant evolutionary adaptations from their Gram-positive bacterial ancestors, a phenomenon termed degenerative evolutions (Kallapur, Suhas G, et al 2013[6]). This evolutionary trajectory has resulted in the loss of the peptidoglycan cell wall, a hallmark characteristic of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Due to this evolutionary divergence, it is imperative to recognize that the U. urealyticum does not prove to be reactive with Gram staining. Because Gram staining depends on differences in cell-wall structure, Ureaplasma cannot be characterized as Gram-positive or Gram-negative by conventional Gram staining. The absence of a cell wall has clinical significance because antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis are not effective in treating this bacteria.[7]
ATP Synthesis
[edit]![[icon]](https://mpnr.duckdns.org/en/embed/https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (October 2026) |
Clinical relevance
[edit]Ureaplasma urealyticum can cause urethritis and may cause bacterial vaginosis. Infection can occur in extragenital sites.[4] A common symptom associated with these infections is the "fishy" smell that is created due to the production of ammonia by the hydrolysis of urea. Patients should confirm diagnosis with a doctor. The bacterium has high correlations with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).[medical citation needed] It has also been linked to infertility in both males and females.[medical citation needed] However, in males, there has been mixed results due to other studies finding that the sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were similar in groups that were positive and negative for Ureaplasma urealyticum though the positive group having a significantly higher count of anti-sperm antibodies.[8] In addition, this pathogen may latently infect the chorionic villi tissues of pregnant women, thereby impacting pregnancy outcome.[medical citation needed] Issues that arise from Ureaplasma urealyticum infections during pregnancy include preterm birth and impacted embryonic development.[medical citation needed] Some patients have given birth to children subjected to bronchopulmonary dysplasia, Intraventricular hemorrhage, and necrotizing enterocolitis.[7] In a study done in 2024 it found increased odds in bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and Intraventricular hemorrhage but found the correlation in necrotizing enterocolitis was not significant[9] However, in another study it found that the genus of Ureaplasma causes higher odds of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.[10] Many of these findings are associations as there are other confounding variables such as gestational age or birth weight. Patients can evolve resistances to normal antibiotic treatments due to the distinctive physiology of these organisms. In the Western World, approximately 40% of Ureaplasma species are resistant to fluoroquinolones (i.e. ciprofloxacin).[11] Patients who are pregnant have further limitations on the treatment course of a Ureaplasma urealyticum infection, making it far harder to successfully cure.[citation needed]
Treatment
[edit]Because Ureaplasma urealyticum lacks a cell wall, it is resistant to β-lactam antibiotics including cephalosporins and penicillins, which are commonly used to treat urinary tract infections.[12] The Ureaplasma species can colonize the human urogenital tract without producing symptoms making it difficult to detect and determine an active infection.[13]
The types of antibiotics that can be used are quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides, since they affect a large part of the mycoplasma family of bacteria where U. urealyticum falls under.[medical citation needed] Yet, it is not recommended they are prescribed frequently due to antibiotic resistance. Other drugs that have β-lactamases are infective to treat infection because of how fast the bacteria's circular genome can mutate (Fan et al. 2023[11]). However, there are new movements to use Azithromycin, a macrolide, to treat these infections. When Azithromycin is ingested, macrophages take it up and deliver it to the sites of infection. (Fan et al. 2023[14]) This helps control the infection where the bacteria grows. Additionally, it is also a great alternative to when a pregnant woman is infected to prevent harm to the fetus, as this antibiotic is transported and acts locally.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Kokkayil, P; Dhawan, B (2015-04). "Ureaplasma: Current perspectives". Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. 33 (2): 205–214. doi:10.4103/0255-0857.154850.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ Kletzel, Hanna Hershko; Rotem, Reut; Barg, Moshe; Michaeli, Jennia; Reichman, Orna (2018-09). "Ureaplasma urealyticum: the Role as a Pathogen in Women's Health, a Systematic Review". Current Infectious Disease Reports. 20 (9). doi:10.1007/s11908-018-0640-y. ISSN 1523-3847.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ Glass, John I.; Lefkowitz, Elliot J.; Glass, Jennifer S.; Heiner, Cheryl R.; Chen, Ellson Y.; Cassell, Gail H. (2000-10). "The complete sequence of the mucosal pathogen Ureaplasma urealyticum". Nature. 407 (6805): 757–762. doi:10.1038/35037619. ISSN 0028-0836.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - 1 2 "Ureaplasma Infection: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology". 17 November 2017.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - 1 2 3 HARASAWA, RYÒ; CASSELL, GAIL H. (1996). "Phylogenetic Analysis of Genes Coding for 16S rRNA in Mammalian Ureaplasmas". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 46 (3): 827–829. doi:10.1099/00207713-46-3-827. ISSN 1466-5026. PMID 8782697.
- ↑ "Ureaplasma urealyticum- Classification". Meducation.net. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 Hillitt, K. L.; Jenkins, R. E.; Spiller, O. B.; Beeton, M. L. (2017). "Antimicrobial activity of Manuka honey against antibiotic-resistant strains of the cell wall-free bacteria Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum" (PDF). Letters in Applied Microbiology. 64 (3): 198–202. doi:10.1111/lam.12707. hdl:10369/8313. ISSN 1472-765X. PMID 27992658. S2CID 8466307.
- ↑ Wan, Yangyang; Chen, Xin; Chen, Zhaoyu; Liu, Wenjing; Li, Siyao; Hua, Juan (19 November 2024). "Impact of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection on semen parameters and in vitro fertilization outcomes in infertile men". Frontiers in Endocrinology. 15. doi:10.3389/fendo.2024.1484007. ISSN 1664-2392. PMC 11611539. PMID 39629051.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ Cai, Jia-Jia (2024). "Effects of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection on neonates: a meta-analysis" (PDF). American Journal of Translational Research. 16 (12): 7222–7237. doi:10.62347/YQIQ1947.
- ↑ Okogbule-Wonodi, Adora C.; Gross, George W.; Sun, Chen-Chih J.; Agthe, Alexander G.; Xiao, Li; Waites, Ken B.; Viscardi, Rose Marie (2011-05). "Necrotizing Enterocolitis Is Associated With Ureaplasma Colonization in Preterm Infants:". Pediatric Research. 69 (5 Part 1): 442–447. doi:10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182111827. ISSN 0031-3998.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - 1 2 Pavoni, Matteo; Principe, Luigi; Foschi, Claudio; Meroni, Elisa; Briozzo, Elena; Lazzarotto, Tiziana; Ambretti, Simone; Di Bella, Stefano (7 December 2023). "Antimicrobial Resistance of Genital Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma : A Multicentre Study Over a 5-Year Period in Italy (2017–2021)". Microbial Drug Resistance. 30 (1): 55–60. doi:10.1089/mdr.2023.0202. ISSN 1076-6294. PMID 38060805.
- ↑ Beeton, M. L.; Spiller, O. B. (1 February 2017). "Antibiotic resistance among Ureaplasma spp. isolates: cause for concern?". Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 72 (2): 330–337. doi:10.1093/jac/dkw425. ISSN 0305-7453.
- ↑ Plummer, Erica L; Vodstrcil, Lenka A; Bodiyabadu, Kaveesha; Murray, Gerald L; Doyle, Michelle; Latimer, Rosie L; Fairley, Christopher K; Payne, Matthew; Chow, Eric P F; Garland, Suzanne M; Bradshaw, Catriona S (15 August 2021). "Are Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum Associated With Specific Genital Symptoms and Clinical Signs in Nonpregnant Women?". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 73 (4): 659–668. doi:10.1093/cid/ciab061. ISSN 1058-4838.
- ↑ Fan, Weibin; Wang, Qisheng; Liang, Zuyu; Wang, Jinyu; Zhang, Lin (16 March 2023). "Efficacy of azithromycin in treating Ureaplasma urealyticum: a systematic review and meta-analysis". BMC Infectious Diseases. 23 (1): 163. doi:10.1186/s12879-023-08102-5. ISSN 1471-2334. PMC 10021952. PMID 36927441.