TY - JOUR
T1 - The bacterial cell wall
T2 - The armor, artillery, and Achilles heel
AU - Bower, Sam
AU - Rosenthal, Ken S.
PY - 2006/9
Y1 - 2006/9
N2 - The bacterial cell wall, like the outer shell of a submarine or a spaceship, is the armor of the bacteria which contains and protects its cytoplasmic contents. The cell wall also contains attachment, invasion, and toxin-secretory weapon systems (artillery). The importance of the cell wall makes it an Achilles heel, and disruption of the cell wall kills the bacteria. This review provides an overview of the structure of the bacterial cell wall, its components and their role as virulence factors, and the vulnerability of the cell wall as a target for antimicrobials and host innate and immune defenses.
AB - The bacterial cell wall, like the outer shell of a submarine or a spaceship, is the armor of the bacteria which contains and protects its cytoplasmic contents. The cell wall also contains attachment, invasion, and toxin-secretory weapon systems (artillery). The importance of the cell wall makes it an Achilles heel, and disruption of the cell wall kills the bacteria. This review provides an overview of the structure of the bacterial cell wall, its components and their role as virulence factors, and the vulnerability of the cell wall as a target for antimicrobials and host innate and immune defenses.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33748803904&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33748803904&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.idc.0000240862.74564.57
DO - 10.1097/01.idc.0000240862.74564.57
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:33748803904
SN - 1056-9103
VL - 14
SP - 309
EP - 317
JO - Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice
JF - Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice
IS - 5
ER -
