Abstract
How bacteria coordinate cell growth with division is not well understood. Bacterial cell elongation is controlled by actin-MreB while cell division is governed by tubulin-FtsZ. A ring-like structure containing FtsZ (the Z ring) at mid-cell attracts other cell division proteins to form the divisome, an essential protein assembly required for septum synthesis and cell separation. The Z ring exists at mid-cell during a major part of the cell cycle without contracting. Here, we show that MreB and FtsZ of Escherichia coli interact directly and that this interaction is required for Z ring contraction. We further show that the MreB-FtsZ interaction is required for transfer of cell-wall biosynthetic enzymes from the lateral to the mature divisome, allowing cells to synthesise the septum. Our observations show that bacterial cell division is coupled to cell elongation via a direct and essential interaction between FtsZ and MreB.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | E M B O Journal |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1953-1965 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISSN | 0261-4189 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Jul 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |