Identification of Campylobacter jejuni, C-coli, C-lari, C-upsaliensis, Arcobacter butzleri, and A-butzleri-like species based on the glyA gene

Currently, the detection and identification of Campylobacter and Arcobacter species remains arduous, largely due to cross-species phenotypic similarit ies and a relatively narrow spectrum of biochemical reactivity. We have dev eloped a PCR-hybridization strategy, wherein degenerate primers are used to amplify glyA fragments from samples, which are then subjected to species-s pecific oligodeoxyribonucleotide probe hybridizations, to identify and dist inguish between Campylobacter jejuni, C. coil, C. lari, C. upsaliensis, Arc obacter butzleri, and an a. butzleri-like species. Evaluation of this strat egy with genomic DNA from different type strains suggests that this approac h is bath specific and sensitive and thus may be applicable in a diagnostic assay to identify and differentiate these highly related species.