JMM Profile: Mycoplasma genitalium: a small, yet significant pathogen

J Med Microbiol. 2025 Apr;74(4). doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001984.

Abstract

Mycoplasma genitalium is characterized by a small genome and a lack of a cell wall, contributing to its unique biology. It is associated with reproductive tract infections, including non-gonococcal urethritis and pelvic inflammatory disease. It is nearly as common as chlamydia in most studies from high-income countries. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in M. genitalium raises concern about the long-term efficacy of current therapeutic strategies. Understanding its genomic intricacies and pathogenic mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted interventions to address the growing public health impact of this elusive microbe.

Keywords: fluoroquinolones; macrolide resistance; non-gonococcal urethritis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Female
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Mycoplasma Infections* / drug therapy
  • Mycoplasma Infections* / epidemiology
  • Mycoplasma Infections* / microbiology
  • Mycoplasma genitalium* / drug effects
  • Mycoplasma genitalium* / genetics
  • Mycoplasma genitalium* / pathogenicity
  • Mycoplasma genitalium* / physiology
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / microbiology
  • Reproductive Tract Infections / epidemiology
  • Reproductive Tract Infections / microbiology
  • Urethritis / microbiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents