The viable but nonculturable state and starvation are different stress responses of Enterococcus faecalis, as determined by proteome analysis.

The protein expression patterns of exponentially growing, starved, and viable but nonculturable (VBNC) Enterococcus faecalis cells were analyzed to establish whether differences exist between the VBNC state and other stress responses. The results indicate that the protein profile of VBNC cells differs from that of either starved or exponentially growing bacteria. This demonstrates that the VBNC state is a distinct physiological phase within the life cycle of E. faecalis, which is activated in response to multiple environmental stresses.