Department of Chemical Engineering.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Dec;79(23):7116-21. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02636-13. Epub 2013 Sep 13.
Bacterial cells may escape the effects of antibiotics without undergoing genetic change; these cells are known as persisters. Unlike resistant cells that grow in the presence of antibiotics, persister cells do not grow in the presence of antibiotics. These persister cells are a small fraction of exponentially growing cells (due to carryover from the inoculum) but become a significant fraction in the stationary phase and in biofilms (up to 1%). Critically, persister cells may be a major cause of chronic infections. The mechanism of persister cell formation is not well understood, and even the metabolic state of these cells is debated. Here, we review studies relevant to the formation of persister cells and their metabolic state and conclude that the best model for persister cells is still dormancy, with the latest mechanistic studies shedding light on how cells reach this dormant state.
细菌细胞可能在不发生遗传变化的情况下逃脱抗生素的作用；这些细胞被称为持留细胞。与在抗生素存在下生长的耐药细胞不同，持留细胞在抗生素存在下不生长。这些持留细胞是指数生长细胞的一小部分（由于接种物的残留），但在静止期和生物膜中成为重要的一部分（高达 1%）。至关重要的是，持留细胞可能是慢性感染的主要原因。持留细胞形成的机制尚不清楚，甚至这些细胞的代谢状态也存在争议。在这里，我们回顾了与持留细胞形成及其代谢状态相关的研究，并得出结论，持留细胞的最佳模型仍然是休眠状态，最新的机制研究揭示了细胞如何进入这种休眠状态。
