Programmed cell death is a gene-directed process involved in the development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. The best understood mode of programmed cell death is apoptosis, which is characterized by a stereotypical set of biochemical and morphological hallmarks.  In this talk, I will discuss new and previous results illustrating that lethally stressed Escherichia coli also exhibit characteristic markers of apoptosis.  Most notably, it is becoming appreciated that dynamic reorganization of the anionic phospholipid, phosphatidylserine, is a feature of challenged bacterial cultures.  Findings related to cytoskeletal rearrangement and regulatory promiscuity will also be discussed.