TABLE 6.

Comparison of molecular methods for identifying Arcobacter spp.

Reference	Methoda	Gene(s) targeted	Species discriminated	Comment
93	RFLP, Southern blotting	16S rRNA, 23S rRNA	A. butzleri	Equal patterns for A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii
18	PCR-RFLP	16S rRNA	A. butzleri	Equal patterns for A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii, and A. nitrofigilis
62	Multiplex PCR	16S rRNA, 23S rRNA	Arcobacter sp., A. butzleri	Equal patterns for A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii
80	PCR-RFLP	23S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. nitrofigilis	Equal patterns for A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii
105	PCR-RFLP	16S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii
77	Multiplex PCR	16S rRNA, 23S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii	Confusion with some species has been reported by Figueras et al. (51, 52), Collado et al. (24, 28), and Houf et al. (74)
5	PCR-hybridization	glyA	A. butzleri
88	Multiplex PCR	23S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus 1A, A. cryaerophilus 1B, A. skirrowii	DNA concn must be accurately adjusted to 20 ng/reaction because any difference in the concn of the template produces some nonspecific amplifications (88)
91	PCR-RFLP	groEL	A. butzleri	No other Arcobacter species were tested
57	PCR-RFLP	16S rRNA, 23S rRNA	A. butzleri	Equal patterns for A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii
126	PCR-DGGE	16S rRNA	A. cryaerophilus 1B, A. nitrofigilis	Equal patterns for A. cryaerophilus 1A, A. butzleri, and A. skirrowii
14	Real time PCR	rpoBC, 23S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus	Not tested in other studies
	Multiplex PCR	rpoBC, 23S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus	The m-PCR uses primers CRY1-CRY2 described by Houf et al. (77), for which unspecific reaction has been reported (74)
1	Real time PCR	gyrA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. cibarius, A. nitrofigilis	Failed for the identification of A. skirrowii
51	PCR-RFLP	16S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus 1A, A. cryaerophilus 1B, A. skirrowii, A. cibarius, A. nitrofigilis, A. halophilus, A. cibarius, A. mytili	The new species A. thereius (74) showed the same restriction pattern as A. butzleri; a specific pattern was obtained for A. marinus (52) and also for the new species A. defluvii and A. molluscorum (28, 52)
125	PCR	gyrA, 16S rRNA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii, A. cibarius	Tested in a limited no. of strains and routine used should be further evaluated, according to Douidah et al. (37)
3	MALDI-TOF MS	Proteins	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii	Only 3 A. butzleri strains and a single strain each of A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii were tested
37	Multiplex PCR	23S rRNA, gyrA	A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii, A. cibarius, A. thereius	The new species A. defluvii produced the same band as A. butzleri (28)
34	PCR	hsp60	A. trophiarum

^aRFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism; DGGE, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; MALDI-TOF MS, matrix-associated laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.