Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis of the Amplified Product of a Small 16S rRNA Gene Fragment for the Identification of Listeria Species Isolated from Food

The development of a rapid method for the identification of Listeria spp. is described. It is based on the polymerase chain reaction amplification of a small fragment from the 16S rRNA gene followed by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. Forty-five strains of Listeria spp. (Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, Listeria ivanovii, Listeria seeligeri, and Listeria welshimeri) were used for the optimization of the protocol. No differences were observed between the results of the identification of the strains tested using traditional methods and those obtained by polymerase chain reaction–temperature gradient gel electrophoresis analysis.