title: Role of the C terminus of FtsK in Escherichia coli chromosome segregation.
abstract: FtsK is essential for Escherichia coli cell division. We report that cells lacking the C terminus of FtsK are defective in chromosome segregation as well as septation, often exhibiting asymmetrically positioned nucleoids and large anucleate regions. Combining the corresponding truncated ftsK gene with a mukB null mutation resulted in a synthetic lethal phenotype. When the truncated ftsK was combined with a minCDE deletion, chains of minicells were generated, many of which contained DNA. These results suggest that the C terminus of FtsK has an important role in chromosome partitioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: X C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Weihe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Margolin
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C096452:FtsK protein, E coli; D008565:Membrane Proteins