Division site selection in rod-shaped bacteria.
Rod-shaped bacteria often divide with high precision at midcell to produce two equally sized daughter cells. The positioning of the division machinery in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis is spatially regulated by two inhibitory systems, the nucleoid occlusion and the Min system. The current models suggest that the target of the inhibitory mechanism is the cytoskeletal element FtsZ and that the concerted action of nucleoid occlusion and Min are necessary for correct placement of the division machinery. However, recent advances show that at least the Min system also ensures that division occurs only once in a cell cycle and might also act downstream of FtsZ assembly.
Bramkamp
Marc
M
Institute for Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47, D-50674 Cologne, Germany. marc.bramkamp@unikoeln.de
van Baarle
Suey
S
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins