Ureaplasma urealyticum

Ureaplasma urealyticum is a bacterium belonging to the genus Ureaplasma and the family Mycoplasmataceae in the order Mycoplasmatales. This family consists of the genera Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. Its type strain is T960. The six recognised Ureaplasma species have a GC content of 27 to 30 percent and a genome size ranging from 0.76 to 1.17 million base pairs, and cholesterol is required for growth. A defining characteristic of the genus is that they perform urea hydrolysis. Some strains originally classified as U. urealyticum should be treated as a new species, U. parvum. U. urealyticum can cause urethritis and bacterial vaginosis. It has also has been linked to infertility. Infection can occur in extragenital sites.