The conserved C-terminal tail of FtsZ is required for the septal localization and division inhibitory activity of MinC(C)/MinD.
The Escherichia coli Min system contributes to spatial regulation of cytokinesis by preventing assembly of the Z ring away from midcell. MinC is a cell division inhibitor whose activity is spatially regulated by MinD and MinE. MinC has two functional domains of similar size, both of which have division inhibitory activity in the proper context. However, the molecular mechanism of the inhibitory action of either domain is not very clear. Here, we report that the septal localization and division inhibitory activity of MinC(C)/MinD requires the conserved C-terminal tail of FtsZ. This tail also mediates interaction with two essential division proteins, ZipA and FtsA, to link FtsZ polymers to the membrane. Overproduction of MinC(C)/MinD displaces FtsA from the Z ring and eventually disrupts the Z ring, probably because it also displaces ZipA. These results support a model for the division inhibitory action of MinC/MinD. MinC/MinD binds to ZipA and FtsA decorated FtsZ polymers located at the membrane through the MinC(C)/MinD-FtsZ interaction. This binding displaces FtsA and/or ZipA, and more importantly, positions MinC(N) near the FtsZ polymers making it a more effective inhibitor.
Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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Lutkenhaus
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C489310:FtsA protein, E coli; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C462942:MinC protein, E coli; C103795:ZipA protein, E coli; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C072069:MinD protein, E coli