Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379778
Research Project: Molecular Identification and Characterization of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Associated with Foods

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Aliarcobacter, Halarcobacter, Malaciobacter, Pseudarcobacter and Poseidonibacter are later synonyms of Arcobacter: Transfer of Poseidonibacter parvus, Poseidonibacter antarcticus, 'Halarcobacter arenosus', ...

Author
item ON, STEPHEN - Lincoln University - New Zealand
item Miller, William - Bill
item BIGGS, PATRICK - Massey University
item CORNELIUS, ANGELA - Institute Of Environmental Science And Research
item VANDAMME, PETER - Ghent University

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/2021
Publication Date: 11/26/2021
Citation: On, S.L., Miller, W.G., Biggs, P.J., Cornelius, A.J., Vandamme, P. 2021. Aliarcobacter, Halarcobacter, Malaciobacter, Pseudarcobacter and Poseidonibacter are later synonyms of Arcobacter: transfer of Poseidonibacter parvus, Poseidonibacter antarcticus, ‘Halarcobacter arenosus’, and ‘Aliarcobacter vitoriensis’ to Arcobacter as Arcobacter parvus comb. nov., Arcobacter antarcticus comb. nov., Arcobacter arenosus comb. nov. and Arcobacter vitoriensis comb. nov. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 71(11). https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005133.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005133

Interpretive Summary: The genus Arcobacter was first proposed to encompass taxa previously classified as Campylobacter species and distinguished from these by their aerotolerance and ability to grow at lower temperatures. Arcobacter currently contains 28 species, including organisms associated with human and animal diseases and species classified as emerging pathogens by the International Committee for the Microbiological Specification of Foods. Recently, a proposal was made by Pérez-Cataluña et al. to divide Arcobacter into six groups. However, we believe this proposal to be in error with no reference strains used and multiple misinterpretations of analyses. Our analyses, using a much larger strain set to place Arcobacter correctly in context disputes many of the points in the proposal by Pérez-Cataluña et al. Thus, we request that the species now comprising six different groups be restored to the original genus Arcobacter.

Technical Abstract: This paper formally requests the Judicial Commission to reject a proposal by Pérez-Cataluña et al. (2018) to divide the genus Arcobacter into six distinct genera. This request draws upon a recent comprehensive polyphasic taxonomic study (On et al. 2020) in which fundamental flaws in the methods used in the proposal by Pérez-Cataluña et al. (2018) were identified. Furthermore, the risk in confusing human and animal health diagnosticians is described, as is the corresponding case to reject the Pérez-Cataluña et al. (2018) proposal also on the basis of nomen periculosum.