Name: Spiroplasma Saglio et al. 1973 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Genus

Proposed as: gen. nov.

Etymology: Spi.ro.plas’ma. Gr. fem. n. speîra, a coil, spiral; Gr. neut. n. plasma, something formed or molded, a form, figure; N.L. neut. n. Spiroplasma, spiral form

Gender, pronunciation (Latin): neuter (stem: Spiroplasmat-), spi-ro-PLAS-ma

Type species: Spiroplasma citri Saglio et al. 1973 (Approved Lists 1980)

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Saglio P, Lhospital M, Lafleche D, Dupont G, Bové JM, Tully JG, Freundt EA. Spiroplasma citri gen. and sp. n.: a mycoplasma-like organism associated with stubborn disease of citrus. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1973; 23:191-204.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family "Spiroplasmataceae" Skripal 1974. Publication: Skripal' IG. [Improvement in the systematics of the class Mollicutes and the establishment in the order Mycoplasmatales of a new family Spiroplasmataceae fam. nova]. Mikrobiol Zh 1974; 36:462-467.
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Spiroplasmataceae (ex Skripal 1974) Skripal 1983. Publication: Skripal' IG. Revival of the name Spiroplasmataceae fam. nov., nom. rev., omitted from the 1980 Approved Lists of Bacterial Names 1980. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1983; 33:408.
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (1981) assigned this genus to the subkingdom "Eubacteria" Cavalier-Smith 1981. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. Eukaryote kingdoms: seven or nine? Biosystems 1981; 14:461-481.
  • 🧕 Gupta et al. (2019) assigned this genus to the order Mycoplasmatales Freundt 1955 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Gupta RS, Son J, Oren A. A phylogenomic and molecular markers based taxonomic framework for members of the order Entomoplasmatales: proposal for an emended order Mycoplasmatales containing the family Spiroplasmataceae and emended family Mycoplasmataceae comprised of six genera. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2019; 112:561-588. 🇨🇦
  • 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Spirolasma"; "Spiropfasma"; "Spirophma"; "Spirophsma"; "Spiropkisma"; "Spiroplama"; "Spiroplasm"; "Spiroplasrna"; "Spiroplmma"; "Spiroplusma"; "Spiroplusmu"; "Spiruplasma"; "Spiruplusma".
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Bradbury JM. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Subcommittee on the taxonomy of mollicutes. Minutes of the interim meetings, 13 and 19 July 2000, Fukuoka, Japan. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2001; 51:2227-2230.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: May M, Brown DR. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Mollicutes. Minutes of the closed meeting, 3rd July 2016, Brisbane, Australia. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017; 67:2482-2484. 🇺🇸
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Johansson KE. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Mollicutes. Minutes of the meetings, 21 and 28 July 1998, Sydney, Australia. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2000; 50:1393-1397.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Anonymous NN. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes: Minutes of the Interim Meetings, 1 and 2 August, 1992, Ames, Iowa. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1993; 43:394-397.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Tully J. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology: Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1993; 43:394-397.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Gasparich GE, Kuo C-H, Manso-Silván L, Blanchard A, Balish MF. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes: minutes of the closed meeting, 7 July 2024, Gran Canaria, Spain. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2024; 74:0. 🇺🇸
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Gasparich GE, Kuo CH, Manso-Silvan L, Blanchard A, Balish MF. Corrigendum: International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes: minutes of the closed meeting, 7 July 2024, Gran Canaria, Spain. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2025; 75:6662. 🇺🇸
  • 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Oduori et al. (2005), Helias et al. (1998). Editors in search of reviewers are advised to consider additional criteria such as whether a taxon is covered by one of the ICSP subcommittees.
  • 🎰 The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: ATCC: 37; DSM: 32; CIP: 2; NBRC: 2; B: 1; CAIM: 1; NCPPB: 1; NCTC: 1; CCTCC: 1.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "sp. strain MQ-1: 1 Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🧍 Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "SPPL" for this genus name but this does not appear to be of practical relevance any longer. Publication: Pittman KF, Walczak CA, Lock CM. Codes and abbreviations for approved of effectively published names of genera of bacteria published from January 1980 to December 1990. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1991; 41:571-579.
  • 🧍 See also Cole et al. (1973). Publication: Cole RM, Tully JG, Popkin TJ, Bove JM. Morphology, ultrastructure, and bacteriophage infection of the helical mycoplasma-like organism (Spiroplasma citri gen. nov., sp. nov.) cultured from "stubborn" disease of citrus. J Bacteriol 1973; 115:367-384.
  • 🧍 See also Davis and Lee (1982). Publication: Davis RE, Lee IM. Comparative properties of spiroplasmas and emerging taxonomic concepts: a proposal. Rev Infect Dis 1982; 4:S122-S128. 🇺🇸
  • 🧍 The phylogeny of the genus was examined by Gasparich et al. (2004). Publication: Gasparich GE, Whitcomb RF, Dodge D, French FE, Glass J, Williamson DL. The genus Spiroplasma and its non-helical descendants: phylogenetic classification, correlation with phenotype and roots of the Mycoplasma mycoides clade. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2004; 54:893-918. 🇺🇸

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 37
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 38
Total number of child taxa: 42

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    Spiroplasma alleghenense Adams et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma apis Mouches et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma atrichopogonis Koerber et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Spiroplasma attinicola" Green et al. 2025	not validly published	preferred name
    Spiroplasma cantharicola Whitcomb et al. 1993	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma chinense Guo et al. 1990	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma chrysopicola Whitcomb et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma citri Saglio et al. 1973 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma clarkii Whitcomb et al. 1993	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma corruscae Hackett et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma culicicola Hung et al. 1987	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma diabroticae Carle et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma diminutum Williamson et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma eriocheiris Wang et al. 2011	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma floricola Davis et al. 1981	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma gladiatoris Whitcomb et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Spiroplasma glossinidia" Bruzzese et al. 2025	not validly published	preferred name
    Spiroplasma helicoides Whitcomb et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Spiroplasma holothuricola" He et al. 2018	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    "Candidatus Spiroplasma holothuriicola" corrig. He et al. 2018	not validly published	pro-correct name
    Spiroplasma insolitum Hackett et al. 1993	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma ixodetis Tully et al. 1995	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma kunkelii Whitcomb et al. 1986	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma lampyridicola Stevens et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma leptinotarsae Hackett et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma leucomae Oduori et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma lineolae French et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma litorale Konai et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma melliferum Clark et al. 1985	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma mirum Tully et al. 1982	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma monobiae Whitcomb et al. 1993	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma montanense Whitcomb et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma penaei Nunan et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma phoeniceum Saillard et al. 1987	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma platyhelix Williamson et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma poulsonii Williamson et al. 1999	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma sabaudiense Abalain-Colloc et al. 1987	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma syrphidicola Whitcomb et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma tabanidicola Whitcomb et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma taiwanense Abalain-Colloc et al. 1988	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma turonicum Hélias et al. 1998	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spiroplasma velocicrescens Konai et al. 1995	validly published under the ICNP	correct name

Parent taxon: Spiroplasmataceae (ex Skripal 1974) Skripal 1983

Assigned by: Skripal' IG. Revival of the name Spiroplasmataceae fam. nov., nom. rev., omitted from the 1980 Approved Lists of Bacterial Names 1980. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1983; 33:408.

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Record number: 517601