Bacteria can be forced to grow without cell wall if cell wall synthesis is inhibited. Here Ramijan et al. show that, in filamentous actinomycetes, hyperosmotic stress induces formation of wall-deficient cells that can switch to normal mycelial growth, or mutate and proliferate indefinitely as wall-less forms.
- Karina Ramijan
- Eveline Ultee
- Dennis Claessen
