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Stress-induced formation of cell wall-deficient cells in filamentous actinomycetes

Abstract:
The cell wall is a shape-defining structure that envelopes almost all bacteria and protects them from environmental stresses. Bacteria can be forced to grow without a cell wall under certain conditions that interfere with cell wall synthesis, but the relevance of these wall-less cells (known as L-forms) is unclear. Here, we show that several species of filamentous actinomycetes have a natural ability to generate wall-deficient cells in response to hyperosmotic stress, which we call S-cells. This wall-deficient state is transient, as S-cells are able to switch to the normal mycelial mode of growth. However, prolonged exposure of S-cells to hyperosmotic stress yields variants that are able to proliferate indefinitely without their cell wall, similarly to L-forms. We propose that formation of wall-deficient cells in actinomycetes may serve as an adaptation to osmotic stress.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41467-018-07560-9

Authors


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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-0237-6058
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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Biology
Sub department:
Zoology
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-6384-3054
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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-0021-4220


Publisher:
Springer Nature
Journal:
Nature Communications More from this journal
Volume:
9
Issue:
1
Article number:
5164
Place of publication:
England
Publication date:
2018-12-04
Acceptance date:
2018-11-09
DOI:
EISSN:
2041-1723
Pmid:
30514921

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