Mesoplasma florum

Classification

Higher order taxa

Bacteria; Firmicutes; Mollicutes; Entomoplasmatales; Entomoplasmataceae; Mesoplasma

Species

Mesoplasma florum

NCBI: Taxonomy

Description and significance

Mesoplasma florum is a Mycoplasma species, which come from the bacteria Mollicutes. Mollicutes do not have a cell wall and are parasitic to humans, animals, and plants. Mycoplasma are characteristically small, as well as self-replicating. Although Mesoplasma florum are a species of Mycoplasma, Mesoplasma florum are not parasitic and are non-motile, unlike Mycoplasma. Like Mycoplasma, Mesoplasma florum are also have a very small genome size (smaller than 1Mb). (1)

Gene sequencing of Mesoplasma florum is important because it is the smallest self-replicating organism, Mycoplasma, and therefore, is itself very small. Furthermore, Micoplasma florum is non-motile, so it is used to study and identify genes that are linked to motility.(1) As a result of their small genomes, they do not have a lot of metabolic ability. (2) They can easily adapt to their environment, even if that environment is changing. (1) This is important because Mesoplasma florum, as well as all species of Mycoplasma, uptake their nutrients from their environment. (3)