title: Glutamate-induced assembly of bacterial cell division protein FtsZ.
abstract: The polymerization of FtsZ is a finely regulated process that plays an essential role in the bacterial cell division process. However, only a few modulators of FtsZ polymerization are known. We identified monosodium glutamate as a potent inducer of FtsZ polymerization. In the presence of GTP, glutamate enhanced the rate and extent of polymerization of FtsZ in a concentration-dependent manner; approximately 90% of the protein was sedimented as polymer in the presence of 1 m glutamate. Electron micrographs of glutamate-induced polymers showed large filamentous structures with extensive bundling. Furthermore, glutamate strongly stabilized the polymers against dilution-induced disassembly, and it decreased the GTPase activity of FtsZ. Calcium induced FtsZ polymerization and bundling of FtsZ polymers; interestingly, although 1 m glutamate produced a larger light-scattering signal than produced by 10 mm calcium, the amount of polymer sedimented in the presence of 1 m glutamate and 10 mm calcium was similar. Thus, the increased light scattering in the presence of glutamate must be due to its ability to induce more extensive bundling of FtsZ polymers than calcium. The data suggest that calcium and glutamate might induce FtsZ polymerization by different mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076, India.
authors.forename: Tushar K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Beuria
authors.forename: Shyam Sundar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Krishnakumar
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahar
authors.forename: Neera
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Kamlesh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Mallika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meshram
authors.forename: Dulal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panda
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001704:Biopolymers; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001704:Biopolymers; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D002118:Calcium