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Prokaryotic Life Cycles

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The Prokaryotes

Abstract

While the normal consequence of bacterial growth is production of identical cells, many prokaryotes generate a cell with a different purpose than the parent. These new cell types have one of three specific functions, dormancy, nutrient acquisition, or dispersal. Quite surprisingly, no prokaryotic life cycles have been described that result in sexual reproduction. Analysis of prokaryotic life cycles has progressed to the point where many life cycles have been described, primarily in the domain Bacteria. Life cycles have been studied in rigorous detail to determine what environmental cues initiate the process or how the cellular transformation occurs. This chapter attempts to familiarize the reader with many of the wonderful systems that have been discovered. Space limitations do not permit comprehensive discussion of all the life cycles that have been described. This chapter also covers several model systems in detail to illustrate the relevant genetic and biochemical strategies.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant MCB0742976.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, The University of Georgia, 816 Biological Sciences, 30602-2605, Athens, GA, USA

    Dr. Lawrence J. Shimkets

Authors
  1. Dr. Lawrence J. Shimkets
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Correspondence to Lawrence J. Shimkets .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  2. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Edward F. DeLong

  3. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Stephen Lory

  4. Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany

    Erko Stackebrandt

  5. Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Center for Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Fabiano Thompson

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Shimkets, L.J. (2013). Prokaryotic Life Cycles. In: Rosenberg, E., DeLong, E.F., Lory, S., Stackebrandt, E., Thompson, F. (eds) The Prokaryotes. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30123-0_54

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