The Origin of the ‘Mycoplasma mycoides Cluster’ Coincides with Domestication of Ruminants

Anne Fischer,Christiane Schnee,Cecilia Muriuki,Edy M Vilei,Beth Shapiro,Erik Bongcam-Rudloff,Joachim Frey,Joerg Jores,Martin Heller,Mitchell F Balish

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036150

Abstract

The ‘Mycoplasma mycoides cluster’ comprises the ruminant pathogens Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides the causative agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae the agent of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum, Mycoplasma leachii and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri. CBPP and CCPP are major livestock diseases and impact the agricultural sector especially in developing countries through reduced food-supply and international trade restrictions. In addition, these diseases are a threat to disease-free countries. We used a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach to gain insights into the demographic history of and phylogenetic relationships among the members of the ‘M. mycoides cluster’. We collected partial sequences from seven housekeeping genes representing a total of 3,816 base pairs from 118 strains within this cluster, and five strains isolated from wild Caprinae. Strikingly, the origin of the ‘M. mycoides cluster’ dates to about 10,000 years ago, suggesting that the establishment and spread of the cluster coincided with livestock domestication. In addition, we show that hybridization and recombination may be important factors in the evolutionary history of the cluster.

Highlights

Members of the genus Mycoplasma belong to the most important bacterial livestock pathogens worldwide
Of particular importance are Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm) and Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp), two members of the ‘Mycoplasma mycoides cluster’ [1], which are responsible for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), respectively
Genetic relationship between populations According to our STRUCTURE analysis, the Mycoplasma strains investigated here fall into four distinct populations, three of which belong to the ‘M. mycoides cluster’

Summary

Introduction

Members of the genus Mycoplasma belong to the most important bacterial livestock pathogens worldwide. Capripneumoniae (Mccp), two members of the ‘Mycoplasma mycoides cluster’ [1], which are responsible for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), respectively. Of particular importance are Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. Both diseases cause significant losses in livestock, in particular in Africa and Asia, and are a threat to disease-free countries. CBPP was first recorded in Europe and was introduced into Africa, North America, Australia, and New Zealand during the colonial time period in the 18th and 19th centuries via livestock movement [3]. CBPP is present in sub-Saharan Africa and suspected in Asia

Methods

Results

Conclusion