title: Active membrane viscoelasticity by the bacterial FtsZ-division protein.
abstract: At the early stages of the division process in Escherichia coli, the protein FtsZ forms a septal ring at the midcell. This Z-ring causes membrane constriction during bacterial division. The Z-ring associates to the lipid membrane through several membrane proteins, ZipA among them. Here, a simplified FtsZ-ZipA model was reconstituted onto Langmuir monolayers based in E. coli polar lipid extract. Brewster angle and atomic force microscopy have revealed membrane FtsZ-polymerization upon GTP hydrolysis. The compression viscoelasticity of these monolayers has been also investigated. The presence of protein induced softening and fluidization with respect to the bare lipid membrane. An active mechanism, based on the internal forces stressed by FtsZ filaments and transduced to the lipid membrane by ZipA, was suggested to underlie the observed behavior.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Física I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: López-Montero
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mateos-Gil
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sferrazza
authors.forename: Pilar L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Navajas
authors.forename: Germán
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: Marisela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vélez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monroy
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004548:Elasticity; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008958:Models, Molecular; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D012212:Rheology; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; C103795:ZipA protein, E coli; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate