In this study the phenotypic and genomic characterization of two Arcobacter butzleri (Ab) strains (Ab 34_O and Ab 39_O) isolated from pre-cut ready-to-eat vegetables was performed. Results provided useful data about their taxonomy and their overall virulence potential with particular reference to the antibiotic and heavy metal susceptibility. These features were moreover compared with those of two Ab strains isolated from shellfish and a genotaxonomic assessment of the Ab species was performed.

The two Ab isolated from vegetables were confirmed to belong to the Aliarcobacter butzleri species by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, MLST and genomic analyses. The genome-based taxonomic assessment of the Ab species brought to the light the possibility to define different subspecies reflecting the source of isolation, even though further genomes from different sources should be available to support this hypothesis. The strains isolated from vegetables in the same geographic area shared the same distribution of COGs with a prevalence of the cluster “inorganic ion transport and metabolism”, consistent with the lithotrophic nature of Arcobacter spp.. None of the Ab strains (from shellfish and from vegetables) metabolized carbohydrates but utilized organic acids and amino acids as carbon sources. The metabolic fingerprinting of Ab resulted less discriminatory than the genome-based approach. The Ab strains isolated from vegetables and those isolated from shellfish endowed multiple resistance to several antibiotics and heavy metals.

在这项研究中，对从预先切好的即食蔬菜中分离出来的两个Butzleri（Ab）菌株（Ab 34_O和Ab 39_O）进行了表型和基因组鉴定。结果提供了有关它们的分类和整体毒力潜力的有用数据，尤其是对抗生素和重金属的敏感性。此外，将这些特征与从贝类中分离出的两种Ab菌株进行了比较，并对Ab物种进行了遗传分类评估。

通过16S rRNA基因序列分析，MLST和基因组分析，确定了从蔬菜中分离出的两种Ab属于牛毛阿里氏杆菌属。尽管应该从其他来源获得更多的基因组来支持该假说，但基于Ab物种的基于基因组的生物分类评估揭示了定义反映亚种来源的不同亚种的可能性。从蔬菜在同一地理区域分离得到的菌株共享齿的相同的分布与群集“无机离子转运和代谢”的患病率，随着lithotrophic性质相符弓形杆菌属。在没有抗体菌株（来自贝类和蔬菜的）代谢碳水化合物，但利用有机酸和氨基酸作为碳源。与基于基因组的方法相比，Ab的代谢指纹图谱具有更少的歧视性。从蔬菜和贝类分离出的Ab菌株对几种抗生素和重金属具有多重抗性。