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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2004, p. 1271-1276, Vol. 70, No. 3
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1271-1276.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Detection of Arcobacter spp. in the Coastal Environment of the Mediterranean Sea

M. T. Fera,1* T. L. Maugeri,2 C. Gugliandolo,2 C. Beninati,1 M. Giannone,1 E. La Camera,1 and M. Carbone1

Dipartimento di Patologia e Microbiologia Sperimentale, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia,1 Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Facoltà di Scienze MM FF NN, Università di Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy2

Received 6 August 2003/ Accepted 17 November 2003

The occurrence of Arcobacter spp. was studied in seawater and plankton samples collected from the Straits of Messina, Italy, during an annual period of observation by using cultural and molecular techniques. A PCR assay with three pairs of primers targeting the 16S and 23S rRNA genes was used for detection and identification of Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and Arcobacter skirrowii in cultures and environmental samples. Only one of the Arcobacter species, A. butzleri, was isolated from seawater and plankton samples. With some samples the A. butzleri PCR assay gave amplified products when cultures were negative. A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii were never detected by culture on selective agar plates; they were detected only by PCR performed directly with environmental samples. Collectively, our data suggest that culturable and nonculturable forms of Arcobacter are present in marine environments. The assay was useful for detecting Arcobacter spp. both as free forms and intimately associated with plankton. This is the first report showing both direct isolation of A. butzleri and the presence of nonculturable Arcobacter spp. in the coastal environment of the Mediterranean Sea.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dipartimento di Patologia e Microbiologia Sperimentale, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Policlinico Universitario, Torre Biologica, 2° piano, Università di Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. Phone: 39-090-2213313. Fax: 39-090-2213312. E-mail: mariateresa.fera.{at}unime.it.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2004, p. 1271-1276, Vol. 70, No. 3
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1271-1276.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Fera, M. T., Maugeri, T. L., Gugliandolo, C., La Camera, E., Lentini, V., Favaloro, A., Bonanno, D., Carbone, M. (2008). Induction and Resuscitation of Viable Nonculturable Arcobacter butzleri Cells. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 3266-3268 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Donachie, S. P., Bowman, J. P., On, S. L. W., Alam, M. (2005). Arcobacter halophilus sp. nov., the first obligate halophile in the genus Arcobacter. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 55: 1271-1277 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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