Programmed cell death as one of the stages of streptomycete differentiation

Programmed cell death (PCD), i.e., active, genetically determined cell death controlled by special intracellular programs, is a necessary part of development of living organisms. PCD of streptomycetes, a widespread and biotechnologically important group of mycelial bacteria, is poorly known, in contrast to an immense amount of data on their growth processes. This review deals with the results of PCD studies in streptomycetes as one of the stages of their development, considered as a part of analysis of growth and differentiation of this bacterial group. PCD events in streptomycetes are considered together with their other feautres, which support analogies with multicellular organisms. The results of investigation of PCD in streptomycetes are required for development of new approaches to optimization of the yield of their biosynthetic products. Basic PCD research is of medical and pharmacological importance for development of fundamentally new approaches to counteracting microbial pathogens.