title: Intrinsic disorder of the bacterial cell division protein ZipA: coil-to-brush conformational transition.
abstract: The full-length ZipA protein from Escherichia coli, one of the essential elements of the cell division machinery, was studied in a surface model built as adsorbed monolayers. The interplay between lateral packing and molecular conformation was probed using a combined methodology based on the scaling analysis of the surface pressure isotherms and ellipsometry measurements of the monolayer thickness. The observed behavior is compatible with the one expected for an intrinsically disordered and highly flexible protein that is preferentially structured in a random coil conformation. At low grafting densities, ZipA coils organize in a mushroom-like regime, whereas a coil-to-brush transition occurs on increasing lateral packing. The structural results suggest a functional scenario in which ZipA acts as a flexible tether anchoring bacterial proto-ring elements to the membrane during the earlier stages of division.
authors: Departamento de Química Física I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, E28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Iván
authors: I
authors: López-Montero
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: López-Navajas
authors: Jesús
authors: J
authors: Mingorance
authors: Germán
authors: G
authors: Rivas
authors: Marisela
authors: M
authors: Vélez
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Vicente
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Monroy
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004548:Elasticity; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C103795:ZipA protein, E coli
keywords: E. coli; Langmuir monolayers; polymer theory