This review outlines the main features of ciliate resting-cyst formation or encystment. It represents a strategy against several environmental stresses (such as starvation), which involves a highly gene-regulated cell differentiation process and originates a more resistant, differentiated form or resting cyst. This process is mainly characterized by drastic cytoplasmic dehydration that induces a general metabolic rate decrease, intense autophagic activity, the formation of a permeable cyst wall protecting the cell against the adverse environmental conditions, and a gene-silencing mechanism after opening the specific encystment genes.

中文翻译：

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纤毛虫潜伏：针对环境饥饿的微生物策略。

这篇综述概述了纤毛静息囊形成或包囊的主要特征。它代表了一种针对多种环境压力（例如饥饿）的策略，其中涉及高度基因调控的细胞分化过程，并产生更具抗性，分化形式或静止的囊肿。该过程的主要特征是剧烈的细胞质脱水，导致总体代谢速率降低，强烈的自噬活性，形成可渗透的囊壁，从而保护细胞免受不利的环境条件，以及打开特定的包囊基因后的基因沉默机制。