title: Bacterial mitotic machineries.
abstract: Here, we review recent progress that yields fundamental new insight into the molecular mechanisms behind plasmid and chromosome segregation in prokaryotic cells. In particular, we describe how prokaryotic actin homologs form mitotic machineries that segregate DNA before cell division. Thus, the ParM protein of plasmid R1 forms F actin-like filaments that separate and move plasmid DNA from mid-cell to the cell poles. Evidence from three different laboratories indicate that the morphogenetic MreB protein may be involved in segregation of the bacterial chromosome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. kgerdes@bmb.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Kenn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gerdes
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Møller-Jensen
authors.forename: Gitte
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ebersbach
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordström
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000235:genetics*; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011815:R Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C471255:ParM protein, E coli; C078473:MreB protein, E coli; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases