review suggests voluntary death in bacteria stressed by abx

[Guest guest]

" An emerging paradigm in this field suggests that, analogous to

programmed cell death in eukaryotes, regulated cell death and lysis in

bacteria play an important role in [...] the elimination of damaged

cells, such as those irreversibly injured by environmental or

antibiotic stress. "

I don't know if this is going to cite anything other than the new JJ

paper in Cell, which I already discussed here on the thread

" holy crap! wow! dang! whoa! [etc]. " I'm out of town and don't have

the full text.

================================

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2008 Mar;72(1):85-109. Links

Molecular control of bacterial death and lysis.

Rice KC, Bayles KW.

Department of Microbiology and Pathology, University of Nebraska

Medical Center, 668 S. 41st St., PYH4014, Omaha, NE 68198-6245.

kbayles@....

Summary: Although the phenomenon of bacterial cell death and lysis

has been studied for over 100 years, the contribution of these

important processes to bacterial physiology and development has only

recently been recognized. Contemporary study of cell death and lysis

in a number of different bacteria has revealed that these processes,

once thought of as being passive and unregulated, are actually

governed by highly complex regulatory systems. An emerging paradigm in

this field suggests that, analogous to programmed cell death in

eukaryotes, regulated cell death and lysis in bacteria play an

important role in both developmental processes, such as competence and

biofilm development, and the elimination of damaged cells, such as

those irreversibly injured by environmental or antibiotic stress.

Further study in this exciting field of bacterial research may provide

new insight into the potential evolutionary link between control of

cell death in bacteria and programmed cell death (apoptosis) in

eukaryotes.

PMID: 18322035 [PubMed - in process]