The essential role of SepF in mycobacterial division.
Mycobacteria lack several of the components that are essential in model systems as Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis for the formation of the divisome, a ring-like structure assembling at the division site to initiate bacterial cytokinesis. Divisome assembly depends on the correct placement of the FtsZ protein into a structure called the Z ring. Notably, early division proteins that assist in the localisation of the Z ring to the cytoplasmic membrane and modulate its structure are missing in the so far known mycobacterial cell division machinery. To find mycobacterium-relevant components of the divisome that might act at the level of FtsZ, a yeast two-hybrid screening was performed with FtsZ from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We identified the SepF homolog as a new interaction partner of mycobacterial FtsZ. Depending on the presence of FtsZ, SepF-GFP fusions localised in ring-like structures at potential division sites. Alteration of SepF levels in Mycobacterium smegmatis led to filamentous cells, indicating a division defect. Depletion of SepF resulted in a complete block of division. The sepF gene is highly conserved in the M. tuberculosis complex members. We therefore propose that SepF is an essential part of the core division machinery in the genus Mycobacterium.
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología - CSIC, Calle Darwin 3, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Susanne
S
Gola
Department of Medical Engineering and Biotechnology, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena - University of Applied Sciences, Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 2, 07745, Jena, Germany.
Thomas
T
Munder
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, V. Gabelli 63, 35121, Padova, Italy.
Stefano
S
Casonato
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, V. Gabelli 63, 35121, Padova, Italy.
Riccardo
R
Manganelli
Centro Nacional de Biotecnología - CSIC, Calle Darwin 3, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Miguel
M
Vicente
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008853:Microscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria