Premium
Agrobacterium tumefaciens divisome proteins regulate the transition from polar growth to cell division
Author(s) -
Howell Matthew,
Aliashkevich Alena,
Sundararajan Kousik,
Daniel Jeremy J.,
Lariviere Patrick J.,
Goley Erin D.,
Cava Felipe,
Brown Pamela J.B.
Publication year - 2019
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.14212
Subject(s) - ftsz , peptidoglycan , cell division , biology , agrobacterium tumefaciens , microbiology and biotechnology , caulobacter crescentus , cell growth , cell , cell wall , cell cycle , genetics , transformation (genetics) , gene
Summary The mechanisms that restrict peptidoglycan biosynthesis to the pole during elongation and re‐direct peptidoglycan biosynthesis to mid‐cell during cell division in polar‐growing Alphaproteobacteria are largely unknown. Here, we explore the role of early division proteins of Agrobacterium tumefaciens including three FtsZ homologs, FtsA and FtsW in the transition from polar growth to mid‐cell growth and ultimately cell division. Although two of the three FtsZ homologs localize to mid‐cell, exhibit GTPase activity and form co‐polymers, only one, FtsZ AT , is required for cell division. We find that FtsZ AT is required not only for constriction and cell separation, but also for initiation of peptidoglycan synthesis at mid‐cell and cessation of polar peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Depletion of FtsZ AT in A. tumefaciens causes a striking phenotype: cells are extensively branched and accumulate growth active poles through tip splitting events. When cell division is blocked at a later stage by depletion of FtsA or FtsW, polar growth is terminated and ectopic growth poles emerge from mid‐cell. Overall, this work suggests that A. tumefaciens FtsZ makes distinct contributions to the regulation of polar growth and cell division.