DdrO regulates the radiation desiccation response and apoptotic‐like cell death in the Deinococcus radiodurans . Light microscopy was used to visualize the effects of depleting the DdrO repressor on D. radiodurans morphology (left to right): Nomarski interference contrast (DIC), membrane staining (FM4‐64), DNA staining (DAPI), and merged images. The cells were depleted of DrdO from 8h (top), 16 h (middle), or 24 h (bottom). DdrO‐depleted cells display morphological changes evocative of an apoptotic‐like response including DNA condensation and vesicle formation. For details, see the article by Devigne et al . on pp. 1069–1084 of this issue.