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Spatial control of the cell division site by the Min system in E scherichia coli
Author(s) -
Shih YuLing,
Zheng Min
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12119
Subject(s) - cell division , biology , division (mathematics) , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , cell cycle , cell cycle protein , oscillation (cell signaling) , computational biology , biophysics , biochemistry , arithmetic , mathematics
Summary The Min system of E scherichia coli is involved in mediating placement of the cell division site at the midcell; this is accomplished through partitioning of the cell division inhibitor MinC to the cell poles to block aberrant polar division. The partitioning of MinC is achieved through its interaction with MinDE , which alternates its cellular distribution periodically between opposite cell poles throughout the cell cycle. This dynamic oscillation is the result of intricate molecular interactions occurring between the three Min proteins on the membrane in a spatiotemporal manner. In this minireview, we discuss recent developments in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the E . coli Min system from cellular, biochemical and biophysical perspectives. In addition, we propose a model that involves the balancing of different molecular interactions at different stages of the oscillation cycle.