Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis)

Mycoplasma hominis is a species of small, pleomorphic bacteria belonging to the class Mollicutes, distinguished by its complete lack of a peptidoglycan cell wall and its extremely small genome. It is a common opportunistic pathogen of the human urogenital tract, frequently associated with complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), bacterial vaginosis, postpartum fever, and occasionally systemic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Because it lacks a cell wall, M. hominis is inherently resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillins, cephalosporins), which target cell wall synthesis. Instead, therapeutic management relies on antibiotics that inhibit internal molecular processes, specifically protein synthesis inhibitors like tetracyclines (e.g., doxycycline) and lincosamides (e.g., clindamycin), or DNA replication inhibitors such as fluoroquinolones. Unlike other mycoplasmas, M. hominis is notably resistant to many macrolides, making accurate diagnosis and targeted sensitivity testing critical for effective treatment.

Other names

M. hominisMycoplasma hominis (PG21)

Inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis via the 30S ribosomal subunit (tetracyclines) or 50S ribosomal subunit (lincosamides); inhibition of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV (fluoroquinolones).