Article
Microbiology
Yang He, Junfeng Zhao, Hua Yin, Yuan Deng
Summary: The study found that beer-spoilage yeast can be induced into a viable but non-culturable state by treatment with hop bitter acids, and can be recovered to a culturable state within a short period of time by the addition of catalase. Transcriptome profiling showed that certain genes were downregulated during the viable but non-culturable state, while others were upregulated during the recovery process.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sooyeon Song, Thomas K. Wood
Summary: Most bacteria enter sleep mode to survive stress, while a small portion of cells become dormant in response to continued stress. Under prolonged pressure, these cells become spheroid and eventually die, forming hollow, membrane-enclosed structures. The process through which cell content is lost remains unclear, but there is debate among scientists regarding whether these dead cell husks can be reborn.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Zhenbo Xu, Kan Wang, Ziqi Liu, Thanapop Soteyome, Yang Deng, Ling Chen, Gamini Seneviratne, Wei Hong, Junyan Liu, Janette M. Harro, Birthe Kjellerup
Summary: This study confirmed that spoilage bacteria can enter the VBNC state and identified a case of beer spoilage caused by VBNC Pediococcus damnosus cells using a novel procedure. The combination of genomic sequencing, flow cytometry, and routine culturing can provide direct evidence of VBNC cells in spoiled food samples and aid in further research on food safety issues caused by VBNC microbes.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sariqa Wagley, Helen Morcrette, Andrea Kovacs-Simon, Zheng R. Yang, Ann Power, Richard K. Tennant, John Love, Neil Murray, Richard W. Titball, Clive S. Butler
Summary: Members of the Proteobacteria can enter a viable but non culturable (VBNC) state as a survival strategy under stressful conditions. Using Vibrio parahaemolyticus as a model organism, distinct subpopulations in the VBNC state with different resuscitation potentials and proteomic profiles were identified. Deletion of the lactate dehydrogenase gene triggered cells to enter VBNC state, while lactate addition extended resuscitation potential. The ability to survive in VBNC state may be linked to overcoming oxidative stress.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yang Xiao, Zengyan Wang, Weizhe Sun, Yingjia Luan, Meizi Piao, Yang Deng
Summary: This study explored the formation and resuscitation of a viable but putatively non-culturable (VPNC) brewer's yeast under various concentrations of isomerized hop extracts. The VPNC state induced by isomerized hop extract treatment resulted in lower fermentation efficiency and altered beer aroma composition. Transcriptomic analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in VPNC cells, while TCA cycle and oxidoreductase activities were increased. Deletion of the Yap1 gene suppressed entry of yeast cells into the VPNC state.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hsin-Yi Chang, Chin-Ying Gui, Tsui-Chin Huang, Yen-Con Hung, Tai-Yuan Chen
Summary: This study investigates the impact of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on Listeria monocytogenes and uncovers the molecular mechanisms leading to the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state. Proteomic techniques were used to identify differentially expressed proteins and functional enrichment analysis revealed the affected pathways. The study also highlights the role of protein chlorination and its potential consequences. These findings have significant implications for food safety and provide potential strategies for controlling L. monocytogenes in the VBNC state.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Shuo Zhao, Jingyun Zhang, Zhe Li, Yu Han, Biao Kan
Summary: VBNC cells, a survival strategy adopted by bacterial species like Vibrio cholerae under environmental stress, require accurate methods for identification and enumeration. Quantitative PCR methods, particularly ddPCR, show higher accuracy and sensitivity in counting VBNC cells. PMA-ddPCR method presented in this study offers a new tool for quantifying VBNC cells, which can be extended to other bacterial species.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Zhimin Yu, Wei Fu, Yang Fu, Wenzhu Tang, Rong Li, Xianzhen Li
Summary: Craft beer is gaining popularity due to its fresh flavor, unique taste, and rich nutrition. However, the nonfiltered and nonpasteurized nature of craft beer makes it more susceptible to microbial spoilage, leading to the formation of harmful biogenic amines. This study identified 23 beer-spoilage bacteria in craft beer, with nine strains capable of producing biogenic amines during beer storage. The findings suggest that preventive measures should focus on controlling bacterial growth to reduce biogenic amine formation and enhance the safety of craft beer.
JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Jiawen Zhang, Haoqing Yang, Jing Li, Jiamiao Hu, Guanyuan Lin, Bee K. K. Tan, Shaoling Lin
Summary: Foodborne diseases caused by pathogens pose risks to food safety. Detecting and inactivating bacteria has been a hot topic in the field. However, bacteria can enter a viable but non-culturable state under adverse conditions, making detection challenging. This review summarizes the latest research on viable but non-culturable foodborne pathogens, including induction conditions, detection methods, formation mechanisms, and control strategies, aiming to provide ideas and methods for future research on these bacteria.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Katja Suster, Andrej Cor
Summary: Prosthetic joint infections are often caused by biofilm formation and the presence of viable but non-culturable bacteria. Conventional sample culturing is the standard for microbiological diagnosis, but it fails to detect non-culturable bacteria. This study investigated the use of bacteriophages to detect non-culturable bacteria.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luiza P. Morawska, Oscar P. Kuipers
Summary: The article discusses the physiological adaptation of bacteria to the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state and the similarities in transcriptional response between VBNC cells and antibiotic-sensitive cells. The study also reveals the strong upregulation of genes involved in proline uptake and catabolism, suggesting a potential role of proline as a nutrient in VBNC cells.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Leticia Silva Santos, Daise Aparecida Rossi, Raquelline Figueiredo Braz, Belchiolina Beatriz Fonseca, Micaela Guidotti-Takeuchi, Rosiane Nascimento Alves, Marcelo Emilio Beletti, Hebreia Oliveira Almeida-Souza, Larissa Prado Maia, Paula de Souza Santos, Jessica Brito de Souza, Roberta Torres de Melo
Summary: Despite being considered fragile and fastidious, Campylobacter jejuni is the most prevalent cause of foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis, especially through chicken meat transmission. Extreme stress can induce the acquisition of the viable but not culturable (VBNC) state in C. jejuni, which demonstrates its adaptability and virulence. The presence of transcripts, cell lysis, and specific metabolites in the VBNC form further emphasize the potential danger and difficulty in detection of this latent pathogen.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Manyun Yang, Xiaobo Liu, Yaguang Luo, Arne J. Pearlstein, Shilong Wang, Hayden Dillow, Kevin Reed, Zhen Jia, Arnav Sharma, Bin Zhou, Dan Pearlstein, Hengyong Yu, Boce Zhang
Summary: The system developed integrates paper chromogenic arrays (PCAs) and machine learning to automatically recognize PCA patterns on multiplexed viable pathogens with strain-level specificity. This approach has the potential to advance non-destructive pathogen detection and identification on food.
Article
Microbiology
Mengqing Zhou, Yuping Huang, Yuanxing Zhang, Qiyao Wang, Yue Ma, Shuai Shao
Summary: This study found that under alkaline pH nutrient limitation, a subpopulation of Vibrio alginolyticus cells enters the VBNC state with pivotal virulence regulator ToxR playing a key role. ToxR directly controls the expression of multiple genes, including those involved in ROS resistance, to regulate the formation of the VBNC state, leading to decreased virulence and activity when ToxR is impaired.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Aurelie Lotoux, Eliane Milohanic, Helene Bierne
Summary: The VBNC state of bacteria, particularly in the case of Lm pathogens, has important implications for environmental, agricultural, and food industry settings, as well as potential risks in the host. The hypothesis that VBNC forms contribute to adaptation, persistence, and transmission of Lm between different ecological niches is put forth.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Hua Jiang, Kan Wang, Muxia Yan, Qian Ye, Xiaojing Lin, Ling Chen, Yanrui Ye, Li Zhang, Junyan Liu, Tengyi Huang
Summary: This study developed a rapid and highly sensitive cross-priming amplification (CPA) method for detecting important toxins in MRSA, in combination with a rapid VBNC cell detection method. The PMA-CPA detection was able to identify various toxins in MRSA in the VBNC state with an accuracy rate of 100%.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Junyan Liu, Hubertine M. E. Willems, Emily A. Sansevere, Stefanie Allert, Katherine S. Barker, David J. Lowes, Andrew C. Dixson, Zhenbo Xu, Jian Miao, Christian DeJarnette, Helene Tournu, Glen E. Palmer, Jonathan P. Richardson, Francisco N. Barrera, Bernhard Hube, Julian R. Naglik, Brian M. Peters
Summary: Vulvovaginal candidiasis caused by Candida albicans poses significant issues for women globally. A conserved variant candidalysin isoform was identified across clinical isolates, with reduced virulence associated with impaired secretion. This study presents a novel mechanism for attenuating C. albicans virulence at the ECE1 locus.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ziqi Liu, Shuaifeng Hu, Thanapop Soteyome, Caiying Bai, Junyan Liu, Zhe Wang, Birthe Kjellerup, Zhenbo Xu
Summary: The study demonstrated the effectiveness of intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment on the inactivation of seven foodborne gram-positive bacteria, with high levels of inactivation achieved under different conditions. Mature biofilm showed the strongest resistance, followed by early biofilm, while planktonic state was the most susceptible. IPL may serve as a method for surface decontamination, reducing microbial contamination on food surfaces.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Zhenbo Xu, Kan Wang, Ziqi Liu, Thanapop Soteyome, Yang Deng, Ling Chen, Gamini Seneviratne, Wei Hong, Junyan Liu, Janette M. Harro, Birthe Kjellerup
Summary: This study confirmed that spoilage bacteria can enter the VBNC state and identified a case of beer spoilage caused by VBNC Pediococcus damnosus cells using a novel procedure. The combination of genomic sequencing, flow cytometry, and routine culturing can provide direct evidence of VBNC cells in spoiled food samples and aid in further research on food safety issues caused by VBNC microbes.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhenbo Xu, Tengyi Huang, Du Min, Thanapop Soteyome, Haifeng Lan, Wei Hong, Fang Peng, Xin Fu, Gongyong Peng, Junyan Liu, Birthe V. Kjellerup
Summary: Microorganisms exist in nature mainly in the form of biofilm, which poses a potential threat to public health safety. Among them, Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen causing severe infections with high mortality. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the regulatory network controlling microbial biofilm development, with C. albicans as a representative, serving as a reference for therapeutic targets.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yan-Xia Liu, Yan-He Zhou, Chang-Hong Jiang, Junyan Liu, Ding-Qiang Chen
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and countries such as China have been widely using herbal medicine for prevention and treatment with positive outcomes. However, the clinical and economic value of herbal medicine in COVID-19 treatment has not been fully evaluated.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Junyan Liu, Xin Lin, Caiying Bai, Thanapop Soteyome, Xiaoxi Bai, Juexin Wang, Congxiu Ye, Xiaoyi Fan, Juzhen Liu, Yunzu Huang, Liyan Liu, Zhenbo Xu, Guangchao Yu, Birthe V. Kjellerup
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a major issue for global human health, threatening the achievement of sustainable development goals. Carbapenemase phenotype in Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been a major concern in antimicrobial resistance. This study found an obvious upward trend in the antimicrobial resistance identification rate of P. aeruginosa isolates from 2012 to 2016. By using a modified Carbapenem Inactivation Method, it was found that 18 out of 88 carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa strains were carbapenemase positive, which was consistent with traditional PCR results. This method shows potential in detecting carbapenemases producing P. aeruginosa.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Junyan Liu, Xin Lin, Thanapop Soteyome, Yanrui Ye, Dingqiang Chen, Ling Yang, Zhenbo Xu
Summary: This study developed a multiplex amplification platform for rapid detection of beta-lactam resistance genes in clinical E. coli isolates. It was found that MDR isolates were commonly resistant to penicillins and fluoroquinolones, with higher distribution among females. Various plasmid replicons and beta-lactamase genes showed relatively high carriage rates in clinical E. coli.
Article
Microbiology
Junyan Liu, Amanda K. Vogel, Jian Miao, Jennifer A. Carnahan, David J. Lowes, Jeffrey M. Rybak, Brian M. Peters
Summary: Recently, the phenotypic heterogeneity in Candida albicans isolates has been recognized as an underappreciated factor contributing to gene diversification, antifungal resistance, fitness, and pathogenicity. We have developed a cloning-free genetic system that combines recyclable genetic systems with CRISPR-Cas9 technology for rapid gene deletion and reversion in C. albicans clinical isolates. By reengineering the SAT1-flipper plasmid to contain CaHygB gene encoding resistance to hygromycin B, both SAT1- and CaHygB-flipper cassettes were integrated at loci with high efficiency and homozygous gene targeting exceeding 99% across various anatomical isolates. Revertant strains were constructed by targeted integration at the NEUT5 locus. This system will aid in understanding the genetic factors contributing to intraspecies diversity.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Junyan Liu, Brian M. Peters, Ling Yang, Hui Yu, Donghua Feng, Dingqiang Chen, Zhenbo Xu
Summary: In this study, a distinct clone of Ralstonia mannitolilytica was identified as a colonizer for the first 20 days during hospitalization and then confirmed as a causative agent for catheter-related bloodstream infection after effective treatment. This suggests that R. mannitolilytica transitioned from a commensal to a pathogen in the respiratory tract during the patient's hospitalization.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Liting Wan, Lin Li, Xia Zhang, Bing Li, Janette M. Harro, Mark E. Shirtliff
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of dietary lipid composition and content on the cecal and fecal microbiota in mice. The results showed that increasing the dietary palm stearin (PS) level promoted the growth of Firmicutes and resulted in higher lipid and bile acid content in feces. However, increasing palm olein (PO) intake did not affect the microbial structure. Only at a high-fat level, PS (compared to PO) induced the observed microbial shifts. These findings highlight the importance of both lipid quality and quantity on gut microbiota.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junyan Liu, Liang Yang, Birthe Veno Kjellerup, Zhenbo Xu
Summary: This article discusses the importance and controversies surrounding the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, and proposes the need to redefine and standardize the term and accurately determine VBNC cells.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Junyan Liu, Zhenbo Xu, Yulong Tan, Ren-You Gan, Guanggang Qu, Dingqiang Chen
Article
Infectious Diseases
Junyan Liu, Tengyi Huang, Thanapop Soteyome, Jian Miao, Guangchao Yu, Dingqiang Chen, Congxiu Ye, Ling Yang, Zhenbo Xu
Summary: In this study, a large-scale investigation was conducted on nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus strains in Southern China from 2009 to 2015. The study focused on antibiotic resistance, virulence gene acquisition, and molecular types. The findings revealed an increase in MRSA resistance, significant differences in virulence genes, and molecular types. Importantly, this study fills a gap in previous research since 2006 or 2010.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yanmei Li, Yisen Qiu, Congxiu Ye, Ling Chen, Yi Liang, Teng-Yi Huang, Li Zhang, Junyan Liu
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that can cause various life-threatening diseases. Rapid and accurate detection of virulence genes in S. aureus is crucial for preventing outbreaks caused by this pathogen. PCR is a useful tool for detecting foodborne pathogens.
BIOPROCESS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
(2021)
