title: Physiological and Transcriptional Responses of Different Industrial Microbes at Near-Zero Specific Growth Rates.
abstract: The current knowledge of the physiology and gene expression of industrially relevant microorganisms is largely based on laboratory studies under conditions of rapid growth and high metabolic activity. However, in natural ecosystems and industrial processes, microbes frequently encounter severe calorie restriction. As a consequence, microbial growth rates in such settings can be extremely slow and even approach zero. Furthermore, uncoupling microbial growth from product formation, while cellular integrity and activity are maintained, offers perspectives that are economically highly interesting. Retentostat cultures have been employed to investigate microbial physiology at (near-)zero growth rates. This minireview compares information from recent physiological and gene expression studies on retentostat cultures of the industrially relevant microorganisms Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Aspergillus niger. Shared responses of these organisms to (near-)zero growth rates include increased stress tolerance and a downregulation of genes involved in protein synthesis. Other adaptations, such as changes in morphology and (secondary) metabolite production, were species specific. This comparison underlines the industrial and scientific significance of further research on microbial (near-)zero growth physiology.
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands NIZO food research, Ede, The Netherlands Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Onur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Markus M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bisschops
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wout
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Overkamp
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Institute of Biology Leiden, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Institute of Biology Leiden, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arthur F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eddy J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Smid
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jack T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Pronk
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oscar P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.affiliation: Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Delft, The Netherlands Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands p.a.s.daran-lapujade@tudelft.nl michiel.kleerebezem@wur.nl.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4097-7831
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daran-Lapujade
authors.affiliation: NIZO food research, Ede, The Netherlands Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands Host Microbe Interactomics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands p.a.s.daran-lapujade@tudelft.nl michiel.kleerebezem@wur.nl.
authors.forename: Michiel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleerebezem
mesh_terms: D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism