title: Another cytoskeleton in the closet.
abstract: Many eukaryotic cells contain up to three families of cytoskeletal proteins that are responsible for the spatial organization of the cell. Although the prokaryotic origins of the actin and tubulin families have now been established, the origin of the third was unknown. In this issue of Cell, provide evidence that the third family, comprising the intermediate filaments, also has origins in bacteria and is responsible for producing curved cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lutkenhaus
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins