ISMmy1, a novel insertion sequence of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides small colony type

A new insertion sequence, ISMmy1, has been identified in the bovine pathogen Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides biotype small colony MmymySC. The occurrence of ISMmy1 in 15 MmymySC strains and 12 other mycoplasmas was examined by Southern blotting. All MmymySC strains showed identical hybridisation patterns except for the type strain PG11, the vaccine strain T1Sr49, and the strain Afade, which all had unique patterns. ISMmy1-like sequences were also found in the bovine pathogen Mycoplasma bovis strain Donetta(T) while mycoplasmas that are phylogenetically closer to MmymySC lack ISMmy1. This observation suggests horizontal transfer between MmymySC and M. bovis. (C) 2002 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.