Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

High-throughput Screening of Chemical Compounds to Elucidate Their Effects on Bacterial Persistence
07:25

High-throughput Screening of Chemical Compounds to Elucidate Their Effects on Bacterial Persistence

Published on: February 23, 2021

4.6K

Persisters-as elusive as ever

Niilo Kaldalu1, Vasili Hauryliuk1,2,3, Tanel Tenson4

  • 1University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|June 6, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial persisters, crucial in infections, are a diverse group of physiological responses. This review emphasizes the need to avoid oversimplifying their mechanisms, urging rigorous validation for each specific case.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Drug Resistance

Background:

  • Persisters are drug-tolerant bacterial subpopulations implicated in recurrent infections.
  • Research has focused on identifying mechanisms of persister formation and eradication strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the heterogeneity of bacterial persistence.
  • To caution against oversimplification of persister mechanisms.
  • To advocate for rigorous validation of persistence mechanisms in specific contexts.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and critical analysis of existing research on bacterial persisters.
  • Examination of factors influencing persister phenotypes, including bacterial species, strain, growth conditions, and antibiotics.

Main Results:

  • The term "persistence" currently encompasses a wide range of heterogeneous physiological phenomena.
  • Mechanisms of persistence vary significantly based on experimental conditions and bacterial context.

Conclusions:

  • A unified understanding of bacterial persistence is challenged by its inherent heterogeneity.
  • Oversimplification of persister mechanisms can hinder effective treatment strategies.
  • Future research must rigorously validate the applicability of proposed mechanisms to specific bacterial species and conditions.
Keywords:
Antibiotic developmentAntibiotic resistanceAntibiotic toleranceBacterial infectionsBet hedgingPersisters

More Related Videos

Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes07:44

Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes

Published on: February 14, 2025

1.7K
Population and Single-Cell Analysis of Antibiotic Persistence in Escherichia coli12:29

Population and Single-Cell Analysis of Antibiotic Persistence in Escherichia coli

Published on: March 24, 2023

3.0K

Related Concept Videos

Methods of Documentation II: POMR01:26

Methods of Documentation II: POMR

The Problem-Oriented Medical Record (POMR) revolutionized medical record-keeping by introducing a systematic approach focusing on the patient's problems rather than merely listing symptoms. Dr. Lawrence Weed's introduction of this method in the 1960s marked a significant advancement in medical documentation. The POMR framework consists of four key components: the database, problem list, plan of care, and progress notes.
1.6K
Bystander Effect02:09

Bystander Effect

The discussion of bullying highlights the problem of witnesses not intervening to help a victim. This is a common occurrence, as the following well-publicized event demonstrates. In 1964, in Queens, New York, a 19-year-old woman named Kitty Genovese was attacked by a person with a knife near the back entrance to her apartment building and again in the hallway inside her apartment building. When the attack occurred, she screamed for help numerous times and eventually died from her stab wounds.
10.4K
Growth versus Fixed Mindset01:24

Growth versus Fixed Mindset

Carol Dweck introduced the term mindset to describe individuals' beliefs about their intellectual and personal capabilities. These beliefs significantly influence psychological processes such as motivation, goal-setting, and perseverance, ultimately shaping academic and life outcomes. Individuals generally possess one of two mindsets- a fixed or a growth mindset—each promoting different responses to success, failure, and challenge.Fixed vs. Growth MindsetA fixed mindset assumes that one's...
410
Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive01:24

Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive

Dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are two separate psychological conditions that influence behavior, relationships, and overall life functioning. Though both involve maladaptive behaviors, their core characteristics and motivations differ significantly.
 Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by an excessive reliance on others to manage various aspects of life. Individuals with this disorder often struggle...
605
Endospores and Sporulation01:20

Endospores and Sporulation

Endospores are specialized, dormant cells primarily formed by Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus and Clostridium, enabling survival under extreme environmental conditions. Due to their unique composition and formation process, these structures are highly resistant to physical and chemical insults, such as extreme heat, ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, desiccation, and toxic chemicals. Rare instances of endospore-like structures have also been observed in some Gram-negative bacteria,...
6.8K
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
29.4K