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Changes in the oligomerization potential of the division inhibitor UgtP co‐ordinate B acillus subtilis cell size with nutrient availability
Author(s) -
Chien AnChun,
Zareh Shan Kian Gharabiklou,
Wang Yan Mei,
Levin Petra Anne
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/mmi.12007
Subject(s) - ftsz , cell division , biology , intracellular , microbiology and biotechnology , cytoplasm , bacillus subtilis , nutrient , cell , cell growth , biochemistry , genetics , bacteria , ecology
Summary How cells co‐ordinate size with growth and development is a major, unresolved question in cell biology. In previous work we identified the glucosyltransferase UgtP as a division inhibitor responsible for increasing the size of B acillus subtilis cells under nutrient‐rich conditions. In nutrient‐rich medium, UgtP is distributed more or less uniformly throughout the cytoplasm and concentrated at the cell poles and/or the cytokinetic ring. Under these conditions, UgtP interacts directly with FtsZ to inhibit division and increase cell size. Conversely, under nutrient‐poor conditions, UgtP is sequestered away from FtsZ in punctate foci, and division proceeds unimpeded resulting in a reduction in average cell size. Here we report that nutrient‐dependent changes in UgtP 's oligomerization potential serve as a molecular rheostat to precisely co‐ordinate B . subtilis cell size with nutrient availability. Our data indicate UgtP interacts with itself and the essential cell division protein FtsZ in a high‐affinity manner influenced in part by UDP glucose, an intracellular proxy for nutrient availability. These findings support a model in which UDP‐glc ‐dependent changes in UgtP 's oligomerization potential shift the equilibrium between UgtP • UgtP and UgtP • FtsZ , fine‐tuning the amount of FtsZ available for assembly into the cytokinetic ring and with it cell size.