Research progress on responses and survival strategies of bacteria under oxidative stress

Oxidative stress refers to a phenomenon in which the balance between oxidation and antioxidation within bacteria can no longer be maintained by its own antioxidant system, resulting in elevated levels of reactive oxygen species or reactive nitrogen species, thereby causing damage or even death. External oxidative stress on bacteria might trigger an oxidative stress response. More frequently, bacteria adopt strategies such as quorum sensing, sub-lethal state, L-form, viable but non-culturable state, or persisters to alter the metabolic state, therefore may cause underestimation of bacteria number, which is a disadvantage in the food industry, where microbial numbers should be controlled. Therefore, the understanding of these strategies not only reveal the adaptive evolutionary mechanisms of bacteria but also provide a theoretical basis for developing novel antibacterial and microbial detection methods. This review systematically summarizes oxidative stress in bacteria, outlines various sources of oxidative stress faced by bacteria as well as their survival strategies and mechanisms, and finally provides perspectives on the survival mechanisms of bacteria under oxidative stress.