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Taking shape: control of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis
Author(s) -
Stewart George C.
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.1365-2958.2005.04760.x
Subject(s) - peptidoglycan , mreb , biology , ftsz , bacillus subtilis , cell envelope , penicillin binding proteins , cytoskeleton , cell wall , microbiology and biotechnology , bacterial cell structure , cell division , flagellum , cell , function (biology) , actin , cell membrane , bacteria , biochemistry , bacterial protein , gene , genetics , escherichia coli
Summary The characteristic shape of a bacterial cell is a function of the three dimensional architectures of the cell envelope and is determined by the balance between lateral wall extension and synthesis of peptidoglycan at the division septum. The three dimensional patterns of cell wall synthesis in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is influenced by actin‐like proteins that form helical coils in the cell and by the MreCD membrane proteins that link the cytoskeletal elements with the penicillin‐binding proteins that carry out peptidoglycan synthesis. Recent genetic studies have provided important clues as to how these proteins are arranged in the cell and how they function to regulate cell shape.