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A synthetic Escherichia coli system identifies a conserved origin tethering factor in Actinobacteria
Author(s) -
Donovan Catriona,
Sieger Boris,
Krämer Reinhard,
Bramkamp Marc
Publication year - 2012
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.1365-2958.2012.08011.x
Subject(s) - biology , streptomyces coelicolor , caulobacter crescentus , streptomyces , actinobacteria , chromosome segregation , genetics , centromere , escherichia coli , chromosome , circular bacterial chromosome , microbiology and biotechnology , cell polarity , corynebacterium glutamicum , cell , bacteria , cell cycle , gene , 16s ribosomal rna
Summary In eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity is essential for numerous biological processes. In some bacterial species, the chromosome origins have been identified as molecular markers of cell polarity and polar chromosome anchoring factors have been identified, for example in Caulobacter crescentus . Although speculated, polar chromosome tethering factors have not been identified for Actinobacteria, to date. Here, using a minimal synthetic Escherichia coli system, biochemical and in vivo experiments, we provide evidence that Corynebacterium glutamicum cells tether the chromosome origins at the cell poles through direct physical interactions between the ParB– parS chromosomal centromere and the apical growth determinant DivIVA. The interaction between ParB and DivIVA proteins was also shown for other members of the Actinobacteria phylum, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptomyces coelicolor .