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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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Prasad A, Sreedharan S, Bakthavachalu B, Laxman S. Eggs of the mosquito Aedes aegypti survive desiccation by rewiring their polyamine and lipid metabolism. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002342. [PMID: 37874799 PMCID: PMC10597479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Upon water loss, some organisms pause their life cycles and escape death. While widespread in microbes, this is less common in animals. Aedes mosquitoes are vectors for viral diseases. Aedes eggs can survive dry environments, but molecular and cellular principles enabling egg survival through desiccation remain unknown. In this report, we find that Aedes aegypti eggs, in contrast to Anopheles stephensi, survive desiccation by acquiring desiccation tolerance at a late developmental stage. We uncover unique proteome and metabolic state changes in Aedes embryos during desiccation that reflect reduced central carbon metabolism, rewiring towards polyamine production, and enhanced lipid utilisation for energy and polyamine synthesis. Using inhibitors targeting these processes in blood-fed mosquitoes that lay eggs, we infer a two-step process of desiccation tolerance in Aedes eggs. The metabolic rewiring towards lipid breakdown and dependent polyamine accumulation confers resistance to desiccation. Furthermore, rapid lipid breakdown is required to fuel energetic requirements upon water reentry to enable larval hatching and survival upon rehydration. This study is fundamental to understanding Aedes embryo survival and in controlling the spread of these mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjana Prasad
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) Centre at inStem, Bangalore, India
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (DBT-inStem), Bangalore, India
| | - Sreesa Sreedharan
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (DBT-inStem), Bangalore, India
- SASTRA University, Thirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur, India
| | - Baskar Bakthavachalu
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) Centre at inStem, Bangalore, India
- School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, India
| | - Sunil Laxman
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (DBT-inStem), Bangalore, India
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Bosch J, Varliero G, Hallsworth JE, Dallas TD, Hopkins D, Frey B, Kong W, Lebre P, Makhalanyane TP, Cowan DA. Microbial anhydrobiosis. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:6377-6390. [PMID: 34347349 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The loss of cellular water (desiccation) and the resulting low cytosolic water activity are major stress factors for life. Numerous prokaryotic and eukaryotic taxa have evolved molecular and physiological adaptions to periods of low water availability or water-limited environments that occur across the terrestrial Earth. The changes within cells during the processes of desiccation and rehydration, from the activation (and inactivation) of biosynthetic pathways to the accumulation of compatible solutes, have been studied in considerable detail. However, relatively little is known on the metabolic status of organisms in the desiccated state; that is, in the sometimes extended periods between the drying and rewetting phases. During these periods, which can extend beyond decades and which we term 'anhydrobiosis', organismal survival could be dependent on a continued supply of energy to maintain the basal metabolic processes necessary for critical functions such as macromolecular repair. Here, we review the state of knowledge relating to the function of microorganisms during the anhydrobiotic state, highlighting substantial gaps in our understanding of qualitative and quantitative aspects of molecular and biochemical processes in desiccated cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Bosch
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Gilda Varliero
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Tiffany D Dallas
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5DL, UK
| | | | - Beat Frey
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Weidong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science (LATPES), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Pedro Lebre
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Thulani P Makhalanyane
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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