Bacterial gene expression at low temperatures

Under suboptimal environmental conditions such as low temperatures, many bacteria have an extended lag phase, altered cell structures, and composition such as a less fluid (more rigid) and leaky cytoplasmic membrane. As a result, cells may die, enter into a starvation mode of metabolism or a physiologically viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. In the latter state, the amount of gene expression per cell is virtually undetectable. In this article, gene expression under (suboptimal) low temperature conditions in non-psychrophilic environmental bacteria is examined. The pros and cons of some of the molecular methodologies for gene expression analysis are also discussed.