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The viable but nonculturable state in bacteria
1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA. jdoliver@uncc.edu
Journal of Microbiology (Seoul, Korea)
|March 15, 2005
Summary
Bacterial cells can enter a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, appearing dead on cultures but remaining alive and potentially able to regrow. This survival mechanism is crucial for understanding microbial persistence and requires further research beyond traditional culturability.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Cellular Physiology
Background:
- Traditionally, bacterial death was defined by the inability to grow on culture media.
- This definition is now understood as overly simplistic, as bacteria can lose culturability while remaining viable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state in bacteria.
- To review methods for identifying VBNC cells.
- To explore the induction, characteristics, resuscitation, and implications of the VBNC state.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on bacterial viability and culturability.
- Discussion of physiological and molecular methods for VBNC state detection.
- Analysis of environmental triggers and bacterial responses.
Main Results:
- The VBNC state is a physiological response to environmental stress, allowing survival without culturability.
- Diverse bacteria across various environments can enter the VBNC state.
- VBNC cells can retain virulence and resuscitate under favorable conditions.
Conclusions:
- Lack of culturability does not equate to cell death; the VBNC state is a significant survival strategy.
- Understanding the VBNC state is critical for accurate microbial risk assessment and environmental monitoring.
- Further research into VBNC bacteria is essential for a comprehensive understanding of microbial life cycles.