title: Functional analysis of the cell division protein FtsW of Escherichia coli.
abstract: Site-directed mutagenesis experiments combined with fluorescence microscopy shed light on the role of Escherichia coli FtsW, a membrane protein belonging to the SEDS family that is involved in peptidoglycan assembly during cell elongation, division, and sporulation. This essential cell division protein has 10 transmembrane segments (TMSs). It is a late recruit to the division site and is required for subsequent recruitment of penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) catalyzing peptide cross-linking. The results allow identification of several domains of the protein with distinct functions. The localization of PBP3 to the septum was found to be dependent on the periplasmic loop located between TMSs 9 and 10. The E240-A249 amphiphilic peptide in the periplasmic loop between TMSs 7 and 8 appears to be a key element in the functioning of FtsW in the septal peptidoglycan assembly machineries. The intracellular loop (containing the R166-F178 amphiphilic peptide) between TMSs 4 and 5 and Gly 311 in TMS 8 are important components of the amino acid sequence-folding information.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Chimie, Bât. allée de la Chimie, 3, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pastoret
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fraipont
authors.forename: Tanneke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: den Blaauwen
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Mirjam E G
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aarsman
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brasseur
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Distèche
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C061684:FtsW protein, Bacteria; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins