Inimical processes: Bacterial self-destruction and sub-lethal injury

It is well recognized that exponentially growing cells are more sensitive than stationary-phase cells to inimical processes such as heating, freezing and the presence of biocides and antibiotics. This difference in resistance is currently explained by the differential expression of biosynthetic pathways, gene regulators and associated enzyme systems that provide an adaptive advantage to the stationary-phase cell. Here we describe an additional and significant element for the differential sensitivity that involves the self-destruction of exponentially growing cells. This may have implications for models that predict bacterial survival during the minimal processing of food.