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Persistent Persister Misperceptions

Jun-Seob Kim1, Thomas K Wood1

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA, USA.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|January 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Persister cells survive antibiotics by entering a dormant, non-metabolic state, not through genetic mutations. This review clarifies historical misunderstandings about these resilient bacterial cells.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Physiology
  • Antibiotic Resistance

Background:

  • Persister cells are a subpopulation of microorganisms exhibiting transient resistance to antibiotics.
  • Early research (Hobby et al., 1942; Bigger, 1944) indicated dormancy, not genetic alteration, as the basis for survival.
  • Decades of research have introduced misperceptions regarding the mechanisms of persister cell survival.

Conclusions:

  • Revisiting foundational research is crucial for correcting widespread misconceptions about persister cells.
  • Accurate understanding of persister cell dormancy is essential for advancing antibiotic tolerance research.
  • Critical evaluation of manuscripts is needed to prevent the perpetuation of inaccuracies in the field.
Keywords:
antimicrobial tolerancepersister cells

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