Stress response of Newport with various sequence types toward plasma-activated water: Viable but nonculturable state formation and outer membrane vesicle production.

This study aims to investigate the response of Newport to plasma-activated water (PAW), a novel disinfectant that attracts attention due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy and eco-friendliness. In this work, we demonstrated that . Newport of different sequence types (STs) could be induced into the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state by PAW treatment. Notably, a remarkable 99.96% of . Newport ST45 strain entered the VBNC state after a 12-min PAW treatment, which was the fastest observed among the five . Newport STs (ST31, ST45, ST46, ST166, ST2364). Secretion of outer membrane vesicles was observed in ST45, suggesting a potential strategy against PAW treatment. Genes related to oxidative stress (, , ), outer membrane proteins (, , , ) and virulence (, , ) were upregulated in the PAW-treated . Newport, especially in ST45. A reduction of 38-65% in intracellular ATP level after PAW treatment was observed, indicating a contributor to the formation of the VBNC state. In addition, a rapid method for detecting the proportion of VBNC cells in food products based on was established. This study contributes to understanding the formation mechanism of the VBNC state in . Newport under PAW stress and offers insights for controlling microbial risks in the food industry.