Work

Rapid pole-to-pole oscillation of a protein required for directing division to the middle of Escherichia coli

Year: 1999

Type: article

Abstract: Accurate placement of the division septum at the midpoint of Escherichia coli cells requires the combined action of a general division inhibitor (MinC), a site-specific suppressor of division inhibition (MinE), and an ATPase (MinD) that is required for proper functioning of both MinC and MinE. We previously showed that a functional MinE-Gfp fusion accumulates in a ring structure at/near the middle of cells. Here we show that functional Gfp-MinD accumulates alternately in either one of the cell halves in what appears to be a rapidly oscillating membrane association-dissociation cycle imposed by MinE. The results indicate that MinD represents a novel type of dynamic cellular element in bacteria, with multiple roles in directing the division apparatus to the middle of the cell.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.9.4971

Authors: David M. Raskin, Piet A. J. de Boer

Institution: Case Western Reserve University

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: Graduate Training in Cell and Molecular Biology, Assembly and Function of the Septal Ring in E. coli