Recovery in culture of viable but nonculturable Vibrio parahaemolyticus: regrowth or resuscitation?

The objective of this study was to explore the recovery of culturability of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) Vibrio parahaemolyticus after temperature upshift and to determine whether regrowth or resuscitation occurred. A clinical strain of V. parahaemolyticus Vp5 was rendered VBNC by exposure to artificial seawater (ASW) at 4 degrees C.

Real-time reverse transcription-PCR for transcriptional expression analysis of virulence and housekeeping genes in viable but nonculturable Vibrio parahaemolyticus after recovery of culturability.

A real-time reverse transcription-PCR method was developed to determine whether the recovery of culturability of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) Vibrio parahaemolyticus induced the expression of virulence genes coding for the thermostable direct hemolysin and for type III secretion system 2 (TTSS2). The culturability of clinical strain Vp5 of V. parahaemolyticus in artificial seawater at 4 degrees C was monitored, and the VBNC state was obtained.