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Pazos-Rojas LA, Cuellar-Sánchez A, Romero-Cerón AL, Rivera-Urbalejo A, Van Dillewijn P, Luna-Vital DA, Muñoz-Rojas J, Morales-García YE, Bustillos-Cristales MDR. The Viable but Non-Culturable (VBNC) State, a Poorly Explored Aspect of Beneficial Bacteria. Microorganisms 2023; 12:39. [PMID: 38257865 PMCID: PMC10818521 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Many bacteria have the ability to survive in challenging environments; however, they cannot all grow on standard culture media, a phenomenon known as the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. Bacteria commonly enter the VBNC state under nutrient-poor environments or under stressful conditions. This review explores the concept of the VBNC state, providing insights into the beneficial bacteria known to employ this strategy. The investigation covers different chemical and physical factors that can induce the latency state, cell features, and gene expression observed in cells in the VBNC state. The review also covers the significance and applications of beneficial bacteria, methods of evaluating bacterial viability, the ability of bacteria to persist in environments associated with higher organisms, and the factors that facilitate the return to the culturable state. Knowledge about beneficial bacteria capable of entering the VBNC state remains limited; however, beneficial bacteria in this state could face adverse environmental conditions and return to a culturable state when the conditions become suitable and continue to exert their beneficial effects. Likewise, this unique feature positions them as potential candidates for healthcare applications, such as the use of probiotic bacteria to enhance human health, applications in industrial microbiology for the production of prebiotics and functional foods, and in the beer and wine industry. Moreover, their use in formulations to increase crop yields and for bacterial bioremediation offers an alternative pathway to harness their beneficial attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Abisaí Pazos-Rojas
- Faculty of Stomatology, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Puebla 72570, Mexico; (L.A.P.-R.); (A.R.-U.)
- Monterrey Institute of Technology, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64700, Mexico; (A.C.-S.); (A.L.R.-C.); (D.A.L.-V.)
| | - Alma Cuellar-Sánchez
- Monterrey Institute of Technology, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64700, Mexico; (A.C.-S.); (A.L.R.-C.); (D.A.L.-V.)
| | - Ana Laura Romero-Cerón
- Monterrey Institute of Technology, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64700, Mexico; (A.C.-S.); (A.L.R.-C.); (D.A.L.-V.)
| | - América Rivera-Urbalejo
- Faculty of Stomatology, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Puebla 72570, Mexico; (L.A.P.-R.); (A.R.-U.)
| | - Pieter Van Dillewijn
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 18008 Granada, Spain;
| | - Diego Armando Luna-Vital
- Monterrey Institute of Technology, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64700, Mexico; (A.C.-S.); (A.L.R.-C.); (D.A.L.-V.)
| | - Jesús Muñoz-Rojas
- Ecology and Survival of Microorganisms Group, Laboratory of Microbial Molecular Ecology (LEMM), Center for Research in Microbiological Sciences, Institute of Sciences, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Puebla 72570, Mexico;
| | - Yolanda Elizabeth Morales-García
- Ecology and Survival of Microorganisms Group, Laboratory of Microbial Molecular Ecology (LEMM), Center for Research in Microbiological Sciences, Institute of Sciences, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Puebla 72570, Mexico;
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - María del Rocío Bustillos-Cristales
- Ecology and Survival of Microorganisms Group, Laboratory of Microbial Molecular Ecology (LEMM), Center for Research in Microbiological Sciences, Institute of Sciences, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Puebla 72570, Mexico;
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