title: Principles of bacterial cell-size determination revealed by cell-wall synthesis perturbations.
abstract: Although bacterial cell morphology is tightly controlled, the principles of size regulation remain elusive. In Escherichia coli, perturbation of cell-wall synthesis often results in similar morphologies, making it difficult to deconvolve the complex genotype-phenotype relationships underlying morphogenesis. Here we modulated cell width through heterologous expression of sequences encoding the essential enzyme PBP2 and through sublethal treatments with drugs that inhibit PBP2 and the MreB cytoskeleton. We quantified the biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell wall across a wide range of cell sizes. We find that, although cell-wall chemical composition is unaltered, MreB dynamics, cell twisting, and cellular mechanics exhibit systematic large-scale changes consistent with altered chirality and a more isotropic cell wall. This multiscale analysis enabled identification of distinct roles for MreB and PBP2, despite having similar morphological effects when depleted. Altogether, our results highlight the robustness of cell-wall synthesis and physical principles dictating cell-size control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tropini
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hsin
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Desmarais
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ursell
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: rmonds@syntheticgenomics.com.
authors.forename: Russell D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Monds
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: kchuang@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Kerwyn Casey
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism; D038761:Photobleaching
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan; C078473:MreB protein, E coli; C582982:MrdA protein, E coli