Identification of Acinetobacter clinical isolates by polymerase chain reaction analysis of 16S-23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid internal transcribed spacer

Background: The genus Acinetobacter is a diverse group of Gram-negative bacteria involve at least 33 species using the molecular methods. Although the genus Acinetobacter comprises a number of definite bacterial species, some of these species are of clinical importance. Therefore, it is of vital importance to use a method which is able to reliably and efficiently differentiate the numerous Acinetobacter species. Objectives: This study aims to identify Acinetobacter of clinical isolates from Assir region to the species level by 16S-23S intergenic spacers internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA). Materials and Methods: Deoxyribonucleic acid extraction, polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S-23S intergenic spacer sequences (ITS) was performed using the bacterium-specific universal primers. Results: Based on the 16S-23S intergenic spacers (ITS) of rRNA sequences, all isolates tested were identified as Acinetobacter baumannii. The isolates shared a common ancestral lineage with the prototypes A. baumannii U60279 and U60280 with 99% sequence similarities. Conclusion: These findings confirmed 16S-23S rRNA ITS for the identification of A. baumannii of different genotypes among patients.