Duplication and segregation of the actin (MreB) cytoskeleton during the prokaryotic cell cycle
- Department of Molecular, Microbial, and Structural Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030
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Communicated by M. J. Osborn, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, September 14, 2007 (received for review July 11, 2007)
Abstract
The bacterial actin homolog MreB exists as a single-copy helical cytoskeletal structure that extends between the two poles of rod-shaped bacteria. In this study, we show that equipartition of the MreB cytoskeleton into daughter cells is accomplished by division and segregation of the helical MreB array into two equivalent structures located in opposite halves of the predivisional cell. This process ensures that each daughter cell inherits one copy of the MreB cytoskeleton. The process is triggered by the membrane association of the FtsZ cell division protein. The cytoskeletal division and segregation events occur before and independently of cytokinesis and involve specialized MreB structures that appear to be intermediates in this process.
Footnotes
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lroth{at}neuron.uchc.edu
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Author contributions: P.V. and L.R. designed research; P.V. performed research; P.V. and L.R. analyzed data; and P.V. and L.R. wrote the paper.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Abbreviations:
- IPTG,
- isopropyl β-D-thiogalactoside;
- LB,
- L-broth;
- PBS-T,
- PBS containing 0.02% Tween 80.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
