Gene regulation during bacterial dormancy: coordinated control of chromosome architecture, transcription machinery, and RNA turnover.

Dormancy is a widespread bacterial survival strategy that enables cells to withstand severe environmental stress while preserving the capacity for rapid revival. As bacteria enter dormancy, cellular activities are progressively shut down, maintained in an inert state throughout dormancy, and rapidly reactivated upon exit. The regulatory mechanisms governing this transition are still not fully understood. Here, we review recent advances in gene regulation during entry, maintenance of, and exit from dormancy, with a focus on transcriptional control mediated by chromosome organization, the transcriptional machinery, and RNA metabolism. Together, these multilayered transcriptional mechanisms ensure dormancy as a tightly regulated, reversible physiological state underlying bacterial persistence and resilience.