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Requirement of essential P bp2x and GpsB for septal ring closure in S treptococcus pneumoniae D 39
Author(s) -
Land Adrian D.,
Tsui HoChing T.,
Kocaoglu Ozden,
Vella Stephen A.,
Shaw Sidney L.,
Keen Susan K.,
Sham LokTo,
Carlson Erin E.,
Winkler Malcolm E.
Publication year - 2013
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.12408
Subject(s) - ftsz , peptidoglycan , biology , nucleoid , cell division , penicillin binding proteins , microbiology and biotechnology , mreb , lysis , cell , cytoskeleton , cell wall , biochemistry , gene , escherichia coli
Summary Bacterial cell shapes are manifestations of programs carried out by multi‐protein machines that synthesize and remodel the resilient peptidoglycan ( PG ) mesh and other polymers surrounding cells. GpsB protein is conserved in low‐ GC G ram‐positive bacteria and is not essential in rod‐shaped B acillus subtilis , where it plays a role in shuttling penicillin‐binding proteins ( PBPs ) between septal and side‐wall sites of PG synthesis. In contrast, we report here that GpsB is essential in ellipsoid‐shaped, ovococcal S treptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), and depletion of GpsB leads to formation of elongated, enlarged cells containing unsegregated nucleoids and multiple, unconstricted rings of fluorescent‐vancomycin staining, and eventual lysis. These phenotypes are similar to those caused by selective inhibition of P bp2x by methicillin that prevents septal PG synthesis. Dual‐protein 2 D and 3 D ‐ SIM (structured illumination) immunofluorescence microscopy ( IFM ) showed that GpsB and FtsZ have overlapping, but not identical, patterns of localization during cell division and that multiple, unconstricted rings of division proteins FtsZ , P bp2x, P bp1a and MreC are in elongated cells depleted of GpsB . These patterns suggest that GpsB , like P bp2x, mediates septal ring closure. This first dual‐protein 3 D ‐ SIM IFM analysis also revealed separate positioning of P bp2x and P bp1a in constricting septa, consistent with two separable PG synthesis machines.