RESUSCITATION OF VIBRIO-VULNIFICUS FROM THE VIABLE BUT NONCULTURABLE STATE

Like many other gram-negative bacteria, the human pathogen Vibrio vuln ificus is induced into a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state by incu bation at low temperatures, The ability of any bacterium to resuscitat e from this dormant state would appear to he essential if the VBNC sta te is truly a survival strategy, The question as to whether the cultur able cells which appear following removal of the inducing stress are a result of true resuscitation or of regrowth of a few residual cultura ble cells has long been debated. V. vulnificus was examined for its ab ility to resuscitate from this state following a temperature upshift, Several lines of investigation, including dilution studies, determinat ion of the time necessary for appearance of a culturable population, a nd the effects of nutrient on recovery, all indicated that, at least f or V. vulnificus, true resuscitation does occur. Our studies further s uggest that nutrient is in some way inhibitory to the resuscitation of cells in the VBNC state and that studies which add nutrient in an att empt to detect resuscitation are able to detect only residual culturab le cells which might be present and which were not inhibited by the ad ded nutrient.