Microbial cell death pathway

Microbial cell death pathways" refers to a variety of genetically encoded processes by which microbial cells, especially bacteria, undergo regulated self-destruction. Key mechanisms in bacteria include toxin–antitoxin systems (such as the mazEF module) that mediate growth arrest or cell death under stress, holin–endolysin systems triggered by bacteriophages to achieve cell lysis, and the population-level phenomenon of altruistic suicide for the benefit of community survival or response to environmental stress. In the context of infection, host cells also trigger distinct regulated cell death pathways, including apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, as defenses against microbial invaders, but "microbial cell death pathways" specifically denotes mechanisms intrinsic to microbes. Unlike single, well-defined protein targets, this term encompasses whole families of cell death regulatory systems within microbes, and it is not a single molecule, receptor, or traditional drug target. Thus, it should not be used as a canonical target name for structured drug target databases[2][3][4][8].

Other names

Programmed cell death in microbesBacterial cell death pathwaysMicrobial programmed cell death

Induction of microbial cell death via toxin–antitoxin systems (e.g., mazEF module, type II toxin-antitoxin systems) Triggering bacterial lysis by holin–endolysin mediated mechanisms Disruption of cell wall synthesis or function Induction of stress responses that lead to PCD