Antibiotic induced bacterial lysis provides a reservoir of persisters

In a genetically uniform bacterial population a small subset of antibiotic-susceptible cells enter an antibiotic tolerant state and are hence referred to as persisters. These have been proposed to be rare phenotypic variants with several stochastically activated independent parallel processes. Here we show an overlooked phenomenon, bacterial tolerance of extraordinary high levels of ampicillin due to encasement of viable cells by an antibiotic induced network of cell debris. This matrix shields the entrapped cells from contact with the bacteriolytic β-lactam antibiotic ampicillin and may be an underlying cause of notable variations in the level of ampicillin tolerant persisters as well as of considerable medical significance. Disruption of the matrix leads to the rapid elimination of hidden survivors, revealing their metabolically active state.