Abstract
Bacterial spore control strategies based on the germination-inactivation principle can lower the thermal load needed to inactivate bacterial spores and thus preserve food quality better. However, the success of this strategy highly depends on the germination of spores, and a subpopulation of spores that fail to germinate or germinate extremely slowly hinders the application of this strategy. This subpopulation of spores is termed ‘superdormant (SD) spores.’ Depending on the source of the germination stimulus, SD spores are categorized as nutrient-SD spores, Ca2+-dipicolinic acid SD spores, dodecylamine-SD spores, and high pressure SD spores. In recent decades, research has been done to isolate these different groups of SD spores and unravel the cause of their germination deficiency as well as their germination capacities. This review summarizes the challenges caused by SD spores, their isolation and characterization, the underlying mechanisms of their germination deficiency, and the future research directions needed to tackle this topic in further depth.
Highlights
Bacterial spores are widely distributed and can cause spoilage and food-borne diseases, leading to economic losses and endanger public health (Setlow et al, 2012; Banawas et al, 2013)
This review summarizes the challenges that SD spores cause, their isolation and characterization, the mechanisms of their superdormancy, and potential future research directions
The effect seems to be dependent on the germination/plating media (Montville, 1981), and on species, e.g., heat activation could stimulate the germination of Clostridium perfringens but not of several Clostridium difficile strains (Wang et al, 2011, 2015; Dembek et al, 2013; Doona et al, 2016a)
Summary
The success of this strategy highly depends on the germination of spores, and a subpopulation of spores that fail to germinate or germinate extremely slowly hinders the application of this strategy. This subpopulation of spores is termed ‘superdormant (SD) spores.’. Research has been done to isolate these different groups of SD spores and unravel the cause of their germination deficiency as well as their germination capacities. This review summarizes the challenges caused by SD spores, their isolation and characterization, the underlying mechanisms of their germination deficiency, and the future research directions needed to tackle this topic in further depth
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