ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND METHODS OF STUDYING UNCULTIVATED FORMS OF BACTERIA

Haffaressas Yacine  -  employee, Pushchino State Natural Science Institute, Russia, 142290, Moscow region, Pushchino, Nauki Avenue, 3, yacinechabani@yandex.ru

Vasilenko Oleg Viktorovich  -  candidate of biological sciences, employee, Пущинский государственный естественно-научный институт, Russia, 142290, Moscow region, Pushchino, Nauki Avenue, 3,

Since its discovery in 1982, the VBNC cells (Viable But Non Culturable) are characterized by a loss of cultivability on agar, cultivable character of a bacterium depends on physiological characteristics and biochemical of its genus or its species. Each bacterial genus has its peculiarities and nutritional requirements for growth. External conditions and stress factors can influence the physiological state of cells. Dead cells, without metabolic activity, cannot be cultured. However a non culturable bacterium is not necessarily dead. Bacteria subjected to stress or unfavorable conditions, they can survive (form spores or switch to a non culturable state: the viable but non culturable state -VBNC-).

Key words: VBNC, Favorable and unfavorable conditions, Metabolic activity, RT-PCR.