Liu J.Zhou R.Li L.Peters B.M.Li B.Lin C.-W.Chuang T.-L.Chen D.Zhao X.Xiong Z.Xu Z.Shirtliff M.E.2019-07-152019-07-1520179232508https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85007425406&doi=10.1016%2fj.resmic.2016.11.002&partnerID=40&md5=60e46e425731732dd03894fc6db8403bhttps://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/413663As major food-borne pathogens worldwide, Escherichia coli are capable of toxin production directly causing severe human disease. However, routine methods are incapable of detecting viable but non-culturable (VBNC) bacteria in food products and raw materials, leading to false-negative identification. In this study, VBNC E. coli O157 strains were acquired after cryopreservation at ?20?°C, with and without freeze-thawing; morphology was observed to be of shorter rod-shape, and toxin expression remained at relatively high levels. PMA-PCR assay for VBNC detection was also validated. Therefore, these results suggest that VBNC E. coli O157 strains may represent a strong threat to public health and food safety. ? 2016 Institut PasteurCryopreservation; E. coli O157; PMA-PCR; Toxin expression; VBNC state[SDGs]SDG3Shiga toxin; bacterial toxin; Article; bacterial strain; controlled study; cryopreservation; enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli; gene expression; nonhuman; polymerase chain reaction; priority journal; cytology; Escherichia coli O157; food safety; genetics; human; isolation and purification; microbial viability; physiology; scanning electron microscopy; Bacterial Toxins; Cryopreservation; Escherichia coli O157; Food Safety; Humans; Microbial Viability; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Polymerase Chain Reactionjournal article10.1016/j.resmic.2016.11.002278847852-s2.0-85007425406