TY - JOUR
T1 - Dysfunctional MreB inhibits chromosome segregation in Escherichia coli
AU - Kruse, Thomas
AU - Møller-Jensen, Jakob
AU - Løbner-Olesen, Anders
AU - Gerdes, Kenn
PY - 2003/10/1
Y1 - 2003/10/1
N2 - The mechanism of prokaryotic chromosome segregation is not known. MreB, an actin homolog, is a shape-determining factor in rod-shaped prokaryotic cells. Using immunofluorescence microscopy we found that MreB of Escherichia coli formed helical filaments located beneath the cell surface. Flow cytometric and cytological analyses indicated that MreB-depleted cells segregated their chromosomes in pairs, consistent with chromosome cohesion. Overexpression of wild-type MreB inhibited cell division but did not perturb chromosome segregation. Overexpression of mutant forms of MreB inhibited cell division, caused abnormal MreB filament morphology and induced severe localization defects of the nucleoid and of the oriC and terC chromosomal regions. The chromosomal terminus regions appeared cohered in both MreB-depleted cells and in cells overexpressing mutant forms of MreB. Our observations indicate that MreB filaments participate in directional chromosome movement and segregation.
AB - The mechanism of prokaryotic chromosome segregation is not known. MreB, an actin homolog, is a shape-determining factor in rod-shaped prokaryotic cells. Using immunofluorescence microscopy we found that MreB of Escherichia coli formed helical filaments located beneath the cell surface. Flow cytometric and cytological analyses indicated that MreB-depleted cells segregated their chromosomes in pairs, consistent with chromosome cohesion. Overexpression of wild-type MreB inhibited cell division but did not perturb chromosome segregation. Overexpression of mutant forms of MreB inhibited cell division, caused abnormal MreB filament morphology and induced severe localization defects of the nucleoid and of the oriC and terC chromosomal regions. The chromosomal terminus regions appeared cohered in both MreB-depleted cells and in cells overexpressing mutant forms of MreB. Our observations indicate that MreB filaments participate in directional chromosome movement and segregation.
KW - Amino Acid Sequence
KW - Chromosome Segregation/physiology
KW - DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
KW - Escherichia coli/metabolism
KW - Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics
KW - Molecular Sequence Data
KW - Mutation
KW - Origin Recognition Complex
KW - RNA/metabolism
KW - Telomerase/metabolism
KW - Viral Proteins/metabolism
U2 - 10.1093/emboj/cdg504
DO - 10.1093/emboj/cdg504
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 14517265
SN - 0261-4189
VL - 22
SP - 5283
EP - 5292
JO - E M B O Journal
JF - E M B O Journal
IS - 19
ER -