Cell wall deficient forms: stealth pathogens

Cell-wall deficient L. monocytogenes L-forms feature abrogated pathogenicity

Stable L-forms are cell wall-deficient bacteria which are able to multiply and propagate indefinitely, despite the absence of a rigid peptidoglycan cell wall. We investigated whether L-forms of the intracellular pathogen L. monocytogenes possibly retain pathogenicity, and if they could trigger an innate immune response. While phagocytosis of L. monocytogenes L-forms by non-activated macrophages...

Cell wall deficient forms of mycobacteria: a review

Cell wall deficient (CWD)-forms or L-forms of bacteria are characterized by a complete or partial loss of cell wall components and by the change of cellular shape. CWD-forms (spheroplasts) of bacteria are commonly prepared in vitro and are used for various practical applications. However, very little is known about the conditions required for the formation of CWD-forms of bacteria and mycobacte...

Reconstitution of a Secondary Cell Wall in a Secondary Cell Wall-Deficient Arabidopsis Mutant

The secondary cell wall constitutes a rigid frame of cells in plant tissues where rigidity is required. Deposition of the secondary cell wall in fiber cells contributes to the production of wood in woody plants. The secondary cell wall is assembled through co-operative activities of many enzymes, and their gene expression is precisely regulated by a pyramidal cascade of transcription factors. D...

Cell-wall deficiencies in L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus.

Cell Wall-Deficient Bacteria: Basic Principles and Clinical Significance

Cell Wall-Deficient Bacteria: Basic Principles and Clinical Significance consists of 19 chapters (524 pages) and a series of appendices (53 pages). The authors of this book are well qualified, all having published original research in the area. Bacteria are covered with an exoskeleton, made up of a molecular syncytium composed of peptidoglycan. As the microbe grows, lytic enzymes break the cell...