Open AccessPhysical mechanisms of ESCRT-III–driven cell division
Author(s) -
Lena Harker-Kirschneck,
Anne E. Hafner,
Tina Yao,
Christian Vanhille-Campos,
Xiuyun Jiang,
André Arashiro Pulschen,
Fredrik Hurtig,
Dawid Hryniuk,
Siân Culley,
Ricardo Henriques,
Buzz Baum,
Anđela Šarić
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2107763119
Subject(s) - cytokinesis , cell division , membrane curvature , cytoskeleton , ftsz , protein filament , escrt , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , biology , chemistry , cell , membrane , vesicle , biochemistry , intracellular , endosome
Significance Cell division is an essential requirement for life. Division requires mechanical forces, often exerted by protein assemblies from the cell interior, that split a single cell into two. Using coarse-grained computer simulations and live cell imaging we define a distinct cell division mechanism—based on the forces generated by the supercoiling of an elastic filament as it disassembles. Our analysis suggests that such a mechanism could explain ESCRT-III–dependent division inSulfolobus cells, based on the similarity of the dynamics of division obtained in simulations to those observed using live cell imaging. In this way our study furthers our understanding of the physical mechanisms used to reshape cells across evolution and identifies additional design principles for a minimal division machinery.