Cell shape dynamics during the staphylococcal cell cycle.
Staphylococcus aureus is an aggressive pathogen and a model organism to study cell division in sequential orthogonal planes in spherical bacteria. However, the small size of staphylococcal cells has impaired analysis of changes in morphology during the cell cycle. Here we use super-resolution microscopy and determine that S. aureus cells are not spherical throughout the cell cycle, but elongate during specific time windows, through peptidoglycan synthesis and remodelling. Both peptidoglycan hydrolysis and turgor pressure are required during division for reshaping the flat division septum into a curved surface. In this process, the septum generates less than one hemisphere of each daughter cell, a trait we show is common to other cocci. Therefore, cell surface scars of previous divisions do not divide the cells in quadrants, generating asymmetry in the daughter cells. Our results introduce a need to reassess the models for division plane selection in cocci.
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
João M
JM
Monteiro
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Pedro B
PB
Fernandes
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Filipa
F
Vaz
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Ana R
AR
Pereira
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Andreia C
AC
Tavares
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Maria T
0000000284465600
MT
Ferreira
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Pedro M
PM
Pereira
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Helena
H
Veiga
1] Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA [2] Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.
Erkin
E
Kuru
Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.
Michael S
MS
VanNieuwenhze
Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.
Yves V
YV
Brun
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Sérgio R
SR
Filipe
Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Mariana G
MG
Pinho
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010957:Plasmids / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins