Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum from cat in China.

PCR assay were used to detect hemotrophic mycoplasmas in 30 cat-blood-samples,and amplified 16 S rRNA gene from Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum GD strain.Sequencing showed that the 1 456 bp(Accession number:AM745338) sequence,which was amplified from DNAs extracted from the 2 positive samples out of the 30 blood samples,was 99.7% identical to that published previously(DQ825442).Sequence analysis and established phylogenetic tree indicated that Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum GD strain was closely related to Mycoplasma pneumoniae.Based on the above results,the hemotrophic mycoplasmas that were previously classified into Eperythrozoon or Haemobartonella should be reclassified into Mycoplasma.