Phage-mediated destruction of bacterial cell envelopes as mediated for the sake of phage-progeny release.
Lysis from within is the normal lysis observed at the end of lytic phage latent periods. It is the lysis induced by phage proteins – such as holins and endolysins – produced within bacteria during phage
Infection. See, by contrast, lysis from without.
Lysis from within occurs by a variety of mechanism all of which ultimately entail disruption of the bacterial cell wall, at least in those bacteria that possess cell walls. The lysis process is required to allow translocation of phage progeny virions found within infected bacteria out into the extracellular environment.
Numerous reviews considering lysis from within have been authored by Ry Young including Young (1992), Young and Bläsi (1995), Young (2005), and Young and Wang (2006).
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