Langevin computer simulations of bacterial protein filaments and the force-generating mechanism during cell division

Hörger, Ines; Velasco, Enrique; Mingorance, Jesús; Rivas, Germán; Tarazona, P.; Vélez, Marisela

doi:10.1103/physreve.77.011902

Cited by 57 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…S6C), supporting our observation that the Z-ring cross-sectional dimensions remain constant throughout constriction. Thus, if the Z-ring does generate a constrictive force in vivo, the force is unlikely to involve ring thickening or widening as some models have proposed (44,46).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Proposed Z-ring force generation models predict that Z-ring structure would be remodeled in different ways as it contracts [i.e., thickening (46), widening (44), condensing (43), or disassembling (38,39,42)]. To determine whether the Z-ring undergoes such structural remodeling in vivo, we examined Z-ring structures using the single-molecule-based superresolution technique, photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) (47).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, purified, membrane-tethered FtsZ was shown to assemble into ring-like structures that deform and constrict liposome membranes (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35). Mechanistically, it has been proposed that a constrictive force could be generated by the bending of FtsZ protofilaments because of their preferred curvature or GTP hydrolysis-induced conformation change (36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41), immediate reannealing of FtsZ protofilaments upon GTP hydrolysis-induced subunit loss (42), condensation of FtsZ protofilaments caused by their lateral affinity (43), or a combination of these mechanisms (38,42,44,45). However, these proposed mechanisms have been difficult to test in vivo because of the essentiality of FtsZ, the limited ability to spatially resolve the Z-ring structure in small bacterial cells, and the lack of sensitive methods to monitor Z-ring contraction and the rate of septum closure.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Defining the rate-limiting processes of bacterial cytokinesis

Coltharp

Buss

Plumer

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

161

216

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Bacterial cytokinesis is accomplished by the essential ‘divisome’ machinery. The most widely conserved divisome component, FtsZ, is a tubulin homolog that polymerizes into the ‘FtsZ-ring’ (‘Z-ring’). Previous in vitro studies suggest that Z-ring contraction serves as a major constrictive force generator to limit the progression of cytokinesis. Here, we applied quantitative superresolution imaging to examine whether and how Z-ring contraction limits the rate of septum closure during cytokinesis in Escherichia coli cells. Surprisingly, septum closure rate was robust to substantial changes in all Z-ring properties proposed to be coupled to force generation: FtsZ’s GTPase activity, Z-ring density, and the timing of Z-ring assembly and disassembly. Instead, the rate was limited by the activity of an essential cell wall synthesis enzyme and further modulated by a physical divisome–chromosome coupling. These results challenge a Z-ring–centric view of bacterial cytokinesis and identify cell wall synthesis and chromosome segregation as limiting processes of cytokinesis.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Defining the rate-limiting processes of bacterial cytokinesis

Coltharp

Buss

Plumer

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

161

216

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show abstract

“…A completely different mechanism for force generation has been suggested in several recent papers (4)(5)(6). These propose that FtsZ forms a filament that can span the circumference of the cell, after which the 2 ends of the filament can interact with each other via lateral bonds.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling the physics of FtsZ assembly and force generation

Erickson

2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

117

103

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The tubulin homolog FtsZ is the major cytoskeletal protein in bacterial cytokinesis. It can generate a constriction force on the bacterial membrane or inside tubular liposomes. Several models have recently been proposed for how this force might be generated. These fall into 2 categories. The first is based on a conformational change from a straight to a curved protofilament. The simplest ''hydrolyze and bend'' model proposes a 22°bend at every interface containing a GDP. New evidence suggests another curved conformation with a 2.5°b end at every interface and that the relation of curvature to GTP hydrolysis is more complicated than previously thought. However, FtsZ protofilaments do appear to be mechanically rigid enough to bend membranes. A second category of models is based on lateral bonding between protofilaments, postulating that a contraction could be generated when protofilaments slide to increase the number of lateral bonds. Unfortunately these lateral bond models have ignored the contribution of subunit entropy when adding bond energies; if included, the mechanism is seen to be invalid. Finally, I address recent models that try to explain how protofilaments 1-subunit-thick show a cooperative assembly. cooperativity ͉ mathematical model ͉ tubulin

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“…In order to cope with the question of how such a set of short protofilaments that only weakly interact laterally can drive cell division, a new class of models was suggested. In these models, the driving force for constriction results from protofilaments condensation (Hörger et al 2008;Lan et al 2009;Sun and Jiang 2011), though the applicability of these models is still under debate (Erickson 2009). Yet, even if binary fission of bacterial cells by the divisome is much more complicated and is not yet fully understood, the fact that FtsZ (assisted by FtsA, ZipA, or some other membrane-attachment method) can deform membranes makes it a highly attractive machine for binary fission of synthetic cells.…”

Section: Ftsz-ring-based Divisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divided we stand: splitting synthetic cells for their proliferation

Caspi

Dekker

2014

Syst Synth Biol

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With the recent dawn of synthetic biology, the old idea of man-made artificial life has gained renewed interest. In the context of a bottom-up approach, this entails the de novo construction of synthetic cells that can autonomously sustain themselves and proliferate. Reproduction of a synthetic cell involves the synthesis of its inner content, replication of its information module, and growth and division of its shell. Theoretical and experimental analysis of natural cells shows that, whereas the core synthesis machinery of the information module is highly conserved, a wide range of solutions have been realized in order to accomplish division. It is therefore to be expected that there are multiple ways to engineer division of synthetic cells. Here we survey the field and review potential routes that can be explored to accomplish the division of bottom-up designed synthetic cells. We cover a range of complexities from simple abiotic mechanisms involving splitting of lipid-membrane-encapsulated vesicles due to physical or chemical principles, to potential division mechanisms of synthetic cells that are based on prokaryotic division machineries.

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Langevin computer simulations of bacterial protein filaments and the force-generating mechanism during cell division

Cited by 57 publications

References 30 publications

Defining the rate-limiting processes of bacterial cytokinesis

Defining the rate-limiting processes of bacterial cytokinesis

Modeling the physics of FtsZ assembly and force generation

Divided we stand: splitting synthetic cells for their proliferation

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