cell division
Research ArticleStructural Visualization of Septum Formation in Staphylococcus warneri Using Atomic Force MicroscopyThis work shows that the septum of Staphylococcus warneri is composed of two layers and that the peptidoglycan on the inner surface of the double-layered septum is organized into concentric rings. Moreover, new cell cycles of S. warneri can be initiated before the previous cell cycle is complete. This work advances our knowledge about a basic structure of...
MinireviewDivision without Binary Fission: Cell Division in the FtsZ-Less ChlamydiaChlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that has significantly reduced its genome size in adapting to its intracellular niche. Among the genes that Chlamydia has eliminated is ftsZ, encoding the central organizer of cell division that directs cell wall synthesis in the division septum. These Gram-negative pathogens have cell envelopes that lack peptidoglycan (PG), yet they use PG for cell...
Research Article | SpotlightThe Length of Lipoteichoic Acid Polymers Controls Staphylococcus aureus Cell Size and Envelope IntegrityMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common cause of community- and hospital-acquired infections and is responsible for a large fraction of deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. S. aureus is surrounded by a complex cell envelope that protects it from antimicrobial...
Research ArticleCritical Role for the Extended N Terminus of Chlamydial MreB in Directing Its Membrane Association and Potential Interaction with Divisome ProteinsChlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen, causing sexually transmitted diseases and trachoma. The study of chlamydial physiology is important for developing novel therapeutic strategies for these diseases. Chlamydiae divide by a unique MreB-dependent polarized cell division process. In this study, we investigated unique properties of chlamydial MreB...
Research ArticleFtsA Regulates Z-Ring Morphology and Cell Wall Metabolism in an FtsZ C-Terminal Linker-Dependent Manner in Caulobacter crescentusBacterial cell division is essential and requires the recruitment and regulation of a complex network of proteins needed to initiate and guide constriction and cytokinesis. FtsZ serves as a master regulator for this process, and its function is highly dependent on both its assembly into the canonical Z ring and interactions with protein binding partners, all of which results in the activation of enzymes that remodel the cell wall to...
Research Article | SpotlightPeptide Linkers within the Essential FtsZ Membrane Tethers ZipA and FtsA Are Nonessential for Cell DivisionEscherichia coli cells divide using a cytokinetic ring composed of polymers of the tubulin-like FtsZ. To function properly, these polymers must attach to the inner surface of the cytoplasmic membrane via two essential membrane-associated tethers, FtsA and ZipA. Both FtsA and ZipA contain peptide linkers that connect their membrane-binding domains with their FtsZ-...
MinireviewRegulation of Cell Division in Bacteria by Monitoring Genome Integrity and DNA Replication StatusAll organisms regulate cell cycle progression by coordinating cell division with DNA replication status. In eukaryotes, DNA damage or problems with replication fork progression induce the DNA damage response (DDR), causing cyclin-dependent kinases to remain active, preventing further cell cycle progression until replication and repair are complete.
Research ArticleCharacterization of the Chromosome Dimer Resolution Site in Caulobacter crescentusBacteria utilize site-specific recombination for a variety of purposes, including the control of gene expression, acquisition of genetic elements, and the resolution of dimeric chromosomes. Failure to resolve dimeric chromosomes can lead to cell division defects in a percentage of the cell population. The work presented here shows the existence of a chromosomal resolution system in...
Research ArticleCryptic-Prophage-Encoded Small Protein DicB Protects Escherichia coli from Phage Infection by Inhibiting Inner Membrane Receptor ProteinsTemperate bacteriophages can integrate their genomes into the bacterial host chromosome and exist as prophages whose gene products play key roles in bacterial fitness and interactions with eukaryotic host organisms. Most bacterial chromosomes contain “cryptic” prophages that have lost genes required for production of phage progeny but retain genes of unknown function that may be important for regulating bacterial host physiology. This...
Minireview¡vIVA la DivIVA!Reproduction in the bacterial kingdom predominantly occurs through binary fission—a process in which one parental cell is divided into two similarly sized daughter cells. How cell division, in conjunction with cell elongation and chromosome segregation, is orchestrated by a multitude of proteins has been an active area of research spanning the past few decades.