Abstract
To date, the possible existence of “nonculturable” (NC) but potentially viable forms has been shown for some bacteria. NC mycobacteria have attracted particular interest due to the assumption that the latent form of tuberculosis is associated with the conversion of its causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, into the NC state. A number of approaches have been developed to obtain NC forms of mycobacteria, but the mechanisms of transition into or from this state have been insufficiently studied. This review considers cell-cell communications involved in the formation and reactivation of NC forms of the bacteria M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis. Special attention has been paid to the secreted Rpf family proteins, which belong to peptidoglycan hydrolases and participate in the resuscitation of NC mycobacteria.
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Original Russian Text © E.G. Salina, G.N. Vostroknutova, M.O. Shleeva, A.S. Kaprelyants, 2006, published in Mikrobiologiya, 2006, Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 502–508.
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Salina, E.G., Vostroknutova, G.N., Shleeva, M.O. et al. Cell-cell interactions during the formation and reactivation of “nonculturable” mycobacteria. Microbiology 75, 432–437 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261706040114
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261706040114