title: Direct interaction of FtsZ and MreB is required for septum synthesis and cell division in Escherichia coli.
abstract: How bacteria coordinate cell growth with division is not well understood. Bacterial cell elongation is controlled by actin-MreB while cell division is governed by tubulin-FtsZ. A ring-like structure containing FtsZ (the Z ring) at mid-cell attracts other cell division proteins to form the divisome, an essential protein assembly required for septum synthesis and cell separation. The Z ring exists at mid-cell during a major part of the cell cycle without contracting. Here, we show that MreB and FtsZ of Escherichia coli interact directly and that this interaction is required for Z ring contraction. We further show that the MreB-FtsZ interaction is required for transfer of cell-wall biosynthetic enzymes from the lateral to the mature divisome, allowing cells to synthesise the septum. Our observations show that bacterial cell division is coupled to cell elongation via a direct and essential interaction between FtsZ and MreB.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Baddiley-Clark Building, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: Kenn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gerdes
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D010457:Peptidoglycan; C078473:MreB protein, E coli