Mycoplasma pneumoniae
![A) Filamentous Mycoplasma pneumoniae cells B) M. pneumoniae cells (M) attached to ciliated mucosal cells by the attachment organelle (indicated by arrow)](/Images/godic/202501/10/Mycoplasma_pneumoniae_cells_attached_to_ciliated_mucosal_cells5906.jpeg")
![Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in vasculitic/thrombotic disorders](/Images/godic/202501/10/Pathogenicity_of_Mycoplasma_pneumoniae_in_vasculitic-thrombotic_disorders5906.png")
![Schematic of the phosphorylated proteins in the attachment organelle of Mycoplasma pneumoniae](/Images/godic/202501/10/Schematic_of_the_phosphorylated_proteins_in_the_attachment_organelle_in_Mycoplasma_pneumoniae5906.jpeg")
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a very small bacterium in the class Mollicutes. It is a human pathogen that causes the disease mycoplasma pneumonia, a form of atypical bacterial pneumonia related to cold agglutinin disease. M. pneumoniae is characterized by the absence of a peptidoglycan cell wall and resulting resistance to many antibacterial agents. The persistence of M. pneumoniae infections even after treatment is associated with its ability to mimic host cell surface composition.