Anaeroplasmatales | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Tenericutes |
Class: | Mollicutes |
Order: | Anaeroplasmatales |
Families and Genera | |
Anaeroplasmataceae
Anaeroplasma
Asteroleplasma
The Anaeroplasmatales are an order of mollicute bacteria which are generally found in the rumens of cattle and sheep. The only family in the order is the family Anaeroplasmataceae.
Members of the order Anaeroplasmatales can appear as different shapes at different times in their life cycle. Cells which are 16–18 hours old tend to be cocci shaped. By the time the cells are older, they can take on various shapes. Anaeroplasmatales are not motile. Anaeroplasmatales cannot grow in the presence of oxygen. They do grow at a temperature of 37 °C on microbiological medium, where they form irregular-shaped colonies with a "fried-egg" appearance, similar to other mycoplasmas. Anaeroplasmatales are negative by Gram stain.
The order Anaeroplasmatales was created in 1987 to encompass the family Anaeroplasmataceae which itself was created to hold the anaerobic mycoplasmas Anaeroplasma and Asteroleplasma.