Programirana stanična smrt je proces koji je uobičajeno povezan s višestaničnim eukariotima. Međutim, nedavno je pronađena u jednostaničnim eukariotima i u bakterijama. U bakterijama ima ulogu u opstanku stanica tijekom stresnih uvjeta kao što su nedostatak nutrijenata i izloženost antibioticima. U takvim uvjetima dio kolonije umire kako bi se omogućio opstanak ostalih stanica. Programirana stanična smrt također ima važnu ulogu u mnogo razvojnih procesa u bakterijama, primjerice u autolizi stanice majke u sporulaciji, autolizi stanica tijekom formiranja plodišta u miksobakterijama, transformaciji DNA oslobođenoj iz stanica streptokoka koje su autolizirale, diferencijaciji hifa streptomiceta i razvoju biofilma. Iako nisu poznati mehanizmi koji kontroliraju staničnu smrt i lizu, pretpostavlja se da je opći mehanizam induciranja programirane stanične smrti pomoću sustava toksin-antitoksin.

Programmed cell death is a process commonly associated with eukaryotic multicellular organisms. However, recently, programmed cell death have also been found in unicellular eukaryotes and in bacteria. In bacteria it has a role in cell survival under various stressing conditions as nutrient deprivation and antibiotic exposure. Under these conditions, part od the colony dies to sustain the surivial of the remaining cells. Programmed cell death has also an important role in a number of developmental processes, such as autolysis of the mother cell in sporulation, autolysis of bacterial cells during the formation of fruiting body in myxobacteria, DNA transformation liberated form cells of streptococci undergoing autolysis, hyphae differentiation in streptomyces and biofilm development. Although the molecular mechanisms controlling cell death and lysis are unknown, it has been hypothesized that a common mechanism to induce programmed cell death in bacteria is through toxin-antitoxin systems.