Abstract
The human gastrointestinal tract is colonized by a large diversity of health-associated bacteria, which comprise the gut microbiota. Sequence-based, culture-independent approaches have revolutionized our view of this microbial ecosystem. However, many of its members are nonculturable under laboratory conditions
Highlights
Viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria are deeply dormant phenotypic variants that are characterized by a loss of culturability in conventional culture media, yet retain some viability markers [1]
VBNC bacteria are resistant to physical conditions and chemical agents that would be lethal to culturable bacteria, and are difficult to kill with antibiotics, partly due to their low levels of metabolism [4]
We have shown that pyruvate is crucial for VBNC E. coli cells to return to the culturable state
Summary
Viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria are deeply dormant phenotypic variants that are characterized by a loss of culturability in conventional culture media, yet retain some viability markers [1]. In 1982, the VBNC state was first described for Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae [2]. More than 100 bacterial species (including approximately 30 gastrointestinal bacteria) and some fungi have been reported to enter the VBNC state (see Dong et al [4] and Li et al [5] for excellent reviews). Among them are many food-borne, toxin-producing bacteria, such as Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli O157:H7, Lactobacillus acetotolerans, Listeria monocytogenes, S. enterica, Shigella flexneri, V. cholerae, and probiotic bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium animalis, Bf. longum and Bf. lactis [6]
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