Like many other gram-negative bacteria, the human pathogen Vibrio vulnificus is induced
into a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state by incubation at low temperatures. The ability of
any bacterium to resuscitate from this dormant state would appear to be essential if the
VBNC state is truly a survival strategy. The question as to whether the culturable cells which
appear following removal of the inducing stress are a result of true resuscitation or of
regrowth of a few residual culturable cells has long been debated. V. vulnificus was …

Stationary-phase-grown cells of the estuarine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus became
nonculturable in nutrient-limited artificial seawater microcosms after 27 days at 5 degrees C.
When the nonculturable cells were subjected to temperature upshift by being placed at room
temperature, the original bacterial numbers were detectable by plate counts after 3 days,
with a corresponding increase in the direct viable counts from 3% to over 80% of the total
cell count. No increase in the total cell count was observed during resuscitation, indicating …