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Maturation of the Escherichia coli divisome occurs in two steps
Author(s) -
Aarsman Mirjam E. G.,
Piette André,
Fraipont Claudine,
Vinkenvleugel Thessa M. F.,
NguyenDistèche Martine,
den Blaauwen Tanneke
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04502.x
Subject(s) - ftsz , escherichia coli , cell division , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , green fluorescent protein , cell growth , peptidoglycan , biochemistry , cell wall , gene
Summary Cell division proteins FtsZ (FtsA, ZipA, ZapA), FtsE/X, FtsK, FtsQ, FtsL/B, FtsW, PBP3, FtsN and AmiC localize at mid cell in Escherichia coli in an interdependent order as listed. To investigate whether this reflects a time dependent maturation of the divisome, the average cell age at which FtsZ, FtsQ, FtsW, PBP3 and FtsN arrive at their destination was determined by immuno‐ and GFP‐fluorescence microscopy of steady state grown cells at a variety of growth rates. Consistently, a time delay of 14–21 min, depending on the growth rate, between Z‐ring formation and the mid cell recruitment of proteins down stream of FtsK was found. We suggest a two‐step model for bacterial division in which the Z‐ring is involved in the switch from cylindrical to polar peptidoglycan synthesis, whereas the much later localizing cell division proteins are responsible for the modification of the envelope shape into that of two new poles.