Checks and Balances in Bacterial Cell Division

MBio
Tanneke den Blaauwen, Joen Luirink

Abstract

Assembly of the division machinery in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria occurs in two time-dependent steps. First, the FtsZ proto-ring localizes at midcell including some FtsN molecules. Subsequently, the proteins that catalyze and regulate septal peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis are recruited including among others, the FtsBLQ-PB1B-FtsW-PBP3 complex. Further accumulation of FtsN finally allows initiation of cell division. It was known that FtsA and FtsQLB somehow prevented this initiation. Recently, A. Boes, S. Olatunji, E. Breukink, and M. Terrak (mBio 10:e01912-18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01912-18) reported that this is caused by inhibition of the activity of the PG synthases by FtsBLQ, which has to be outcompeted by accumulation of the PBP1b activating FtsN. This supports a central structural as well as regulatory role for the FtsBLQ protein complex that is conserved only in prokaryotes, making it an attractive target for antibiotic development.

References

Jun 29, 2006·Molecular Microbiology·Ute BertscheWaldemar Vollmer
Jul 11, 2006·Molecular Microbiology·Miguel Vicente, Ana Isabel Rico
Oct 17, 2007·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Patrick MüllerWaldemar Vollmer
Mar 4, 2008·Molecular Microbiology·Fusinita van den EntJan Löwe
Mar 30, 2010·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Patrick KoenigIvo Tews
Jul 13, 2013·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·H Bart van den Berg van SaparoeaJoen Luirink
Apr 23, 2014·Molecular Microbiology·Kimberly K Busiek, William Margolin
Apr 7, 2016·Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery·Duncan E ScottJohn Skidmore
Aug 10, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Shishen DuJoe Lutkenhaus
Mar 4, 2017·Current Opinion in Microbiology·Tanneke den BlaauwenPetra Anne Levin
Dec 2, 2017·Molecular Microbiology·Bill SöderströmDaniel O Daley
Sep 21, 2018·Frontiers in Microbiology·Alejandro Montón SilvaTanneke den Blaauwen

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
two-hybrid
GTase
superresolution microscopy
transmission electron microscopy

Software Mentioned

mBio

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bacterial Cell Wall Structure (ASM)

Bacterial cell walls are made of peptidoglycan (also called murein), which is made from polysaccharide chains cross-linked by unusual peptides containing D-amino acids. Here is the latest research on bacterial cell wall structures.

Bacterial Cell Wall Structure

Bacterial cell walls are made of peptidoglycan (also called murein), which is made from polysaccharide chains cross-linked by unusual peptides containing D-amino acids. Here is the latest research on bacterial cell wall structures.