In bacteriology, minicells are bacterial cells that are smaller than usual. The first minicells reported were from a strain of Escherichia coli that had a mutation in the Min System that lead to mis-localization of the septum during cell division and the production of cells of random sizes. [1] [2]
The first report of minicells in the scientific literature dates to 1930., [3] but the first use of the name "minicell" dates to 1967 [2]
Minicells of a variety of gram negative [4] and gram positive [5] [6] bacteria, including Escherichia coli [7] and Salmonella enterica , [8] have been reported, but in principle, minicells could be generated for any bacterial species that can be genetically edited. Minicells can not reproduce because they do not contain a full copy of the genome. [9]
Scientists hypothesize that minicells are produced by normal bacteria in times of stress so that damaged areas of the cell can be expelled. [9]
Minicells have been extensively used to study ultrastructure of bacteria using electron cryotomography (cryoET). [10] [11] [12] Minicells are ideal for cryoET because they are small enough for the electron beam to penetrate in transmission electron microscopy.
Bacterial minicells are being developed as a drug delivery system. [13] [14] Minicells could be used to deliver genetic material to eukaryotic cells for gene editing. [15] They are also being investigated for vaccine development. [16]