Significance of Viable But Non-culturable (VBNC) State in Vibrios and Other Pathogenic Bacteria: Induction, Detection and the Role of Resuscitation Promoting Factors (Rpf)

Abstract

Still, it remains a debate after four decades of research on surviving cells, several bacterial species were naturally inducted and found to exist in a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, an adaptive strategy executed by most bacterial species under different stressful conditions. VBNC state are generally attributed when the cells lose its culturability on standard culture media, diminish in conventional detection methods, but retaining its viability, virulence and antibiotic resistance over a period of years and may poses a risk to marine animals as well as public health and food safety. In this present review, we mainly focus the VBNC state of Vibrios and other human bacterial pathogens. Exposure to several factors like nutrient depletion, temperature fluctuation, changes in salinity and oxidative stress, antibiotic and other chemical stress can induce the cells to VBNC state. The transcriptomic and proteomic changes during VBNC, modification in detection techniques and the most significant role of Rpf in conversion of VBNC into culturable cells. Altogether, detection of unculturable VBNC forms has significant importance, since it may not only regain its culturability, but also reactivate its putative virulence determinants causing serious outbreaks and illness to the individual.