The compartmentalized vessel

doi:10.4161/cl.1.2.16152

Cited by 23 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The poles of rod-shaped bacterial cells play an important role in various molecular processes, including DNA segregation, metabolic regulation and aggregate clearance (Bowman et al, 2011 ; Govindarajan et al, 2012 ; Laloux and Jacobs-Wagner, 2014 ). The poles are also emerging as hubs for localization of many proteins, including sensory systems (Alley et al, 1992 ; Janakiraman and Goldberg, 2004 ; Briegel et al, 2009 ; Rudner and Losick, 2010 ; Amster-Choder, 2011 ). Currently, a handful of mechanisms have been suggested to underlie targeting of proteins to the poles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Sugar Utilization by E. coli Is Generated by Stochastic Dispersal of the General PTS Protein EI from Polar Clusters

et al. 2018

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Although the list of proteins that localize to the bacterial cell poles is constantly growing, little is known about their temporal behavior. EI, a major protein of the phosphotransferase system (PTS) that regulates sugar uptake and metabolism in bacteria, was shown to form clusters at the Escherichia coli cell poles. We monitored the localization of EI clusters, as well as diffuse molecules, in space and time during the lifetime of E. coli cells. We show that EI distribution and cluster dynamics varies among cells in a population, and that the cluster speed inversely correlates with cluster size. In growing cells, EI is not assembled into clusters in almost 40% of the cells, and the clusters in most remaining cells dynamically relocate within the pole region or between the poles. In non-growing cells, the fraction of cells that contain EI clusters is significantly higher, and dispersal of these clusters is often observed shortly after exiting quiescence. Later, during growth, EI clusters stochastically re-form by assembly of pre-existing dispersed molecules at random time points. Using a fluorescent glucose analog, we found that EI function inversely correlates with clustering and with cluster size. Thus, activity is exerted by dispersed EI molecules, whereas the polar clusters serve as a reservoir of molecules ready to act when needed. Taken together our findings highlight the spatiotemporal distribution of EI as a novel layer of regulation that contributes to the population phenotypic heterogeneity with regard to sugar metabolism, seemingly conferring a survival benefit.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Sugar Utilization by E. coli Is Generated by Stochastic Dispersal of the General PTS Protein EI from Polar Clusters

et al. 2018

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“…Cells are complex entities spatially organized into compartments in which proteins and other metabolites accumulate and perform specialized functions 1 . Although compartmentalization is more obvious in eukaryotic cells, which contain membrane surrounded organelles and nucleus, it is now widely recognized that both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are divided in subcompartments 1 2 3 thought to be important for many cellular processes. However, in vitro studies of their role in, and impact on, these processes remain scarce, particularly for bacterial microenvironments.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…It is very similar to a complex coacervate, liquid droplets formed by phase separation of mixtures of macromolecules with opposite charges that retain a large amount of solvent 7 . Additionally, highly dynamic membraneless organelles formed by assemblies in direct contact with the surroundings like carboxysomes and magnetosomes in prokaryotes and P granules, stress granules, nucleoli or Cajal bodies in eukaryotes, have been described 1 2 3 8 9 10 11 12 . These cellular bodies may be considered liquid droplet phases, suggested to be formed via intracellular phase separation 3 .…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Liquid/liquid phase separation (LLPS) is common in solutions having high concentrations of (bio)macromolecules. In the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm of eukaryotic cells, LLPS can provide distinct environments with particular physicochemical properties 1 2 3 . They originate from the different effects of macromolecules in the two phases on the structure and solvent properties of water 25 , creating distinct environments commonly leading to unequal partition of solutes (small organic molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, RNPs, etc.)…”

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Microenvironments created by liquid-liquid phase transition control the dynamic distribution of bacterial division FtsZ protein

Monterroso

Zorrilla

Sobrinos-Sanguino

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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The influence of membrane-free microcompartments resulting from crowding-induced liquid/liquid phase separation (LLPS) on the dynamic spatial organization of FtsZ, the main component of the bacterial division machinery, has been studied using several LLPS systems. The GTP-dependent assembly cycle of FtsZ is thought to be crucial for the formation of the septal ring, which is highly regulated in time and space. We found that FtsZ accumulates in one of the phases and/or at the interface, depending on the system composition and on the oligomerization state of the protein. These results were observed both in bulk LLPS and in lipid-stabilized, phase-separated aqueous microdroplets. The visualization of the droplets revealed that both the location and structural arrangement of FtsZ filaments is determined by the nature of the LLPS. Relocation upon depolymerization of the dynamic filaments suggests the protein may shift among microenvironments in response to changes in its association state. The existence of these dynamic compartments driven by phase transitions can alter the local composition and reactivity of FtsZ during its life cycle acting as a nonspecific modulating factor of cell function.

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“…The rapid development and implementation of fluorescence microscopy techniques has led to the realization that, even in tiny bacterial cells, key molecular processes can be highly orchestrated and organized to temporarily or statically occur at specific subcellular sites ( Rudner and Losick, 2010 ; Amster-Choder, 2011 ; Campos and Jacobs-Wagner, 2013 ). Most macromolecules, such as lipids, ribosomes, proteins, plasmids, metabolites, and RNA species move in varying diffusive states with different velocities in a crowded environment ( Mika and Poolman, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illuminating Messengers: An Update and Outlook on RNA Visualization in Bacteria

Gijtenbeek

2017

Front. Microbiol.

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To be able to visualize the abundance and spatiotemporal features of RNAs in bacterial cells would permit obtaining a pivotal understanding of many mechanisms underlying bacterial cell biology. The first methods that allowed observing single mRNA molecules in individual cells were introduced by Bertrand et al. (1998) and Femino et al. (1998). Since then, a plethora of techniques to image RNA molecules with the aid of fluorescence microscopy has emerged. Many of these approaches are useful for the large eukaryotic cells but their adaptation to study RNA, specifically mRNA molecules, in bacterial cells progressed relatively slow. Here, an overview will be given of fluorescent techniques that can be used to reveal specific RNA molecules inside fixed and living single bacterial cells. It includes a critical evaluation of their caveats as well as potential solutions.

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The compartmentalized vessel

Cited by 23 publications

References 32 publications

Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Sugar Utilization by E. coli Is Generated by Stochastic Dispersal of the General PTS Protein EI from Polar Clusters

Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Sugar Utilization by E. coli Is Generated by Stochastic Dispersal of the General PTS Protein EI from Polar Clusters

Microenvironments created by liquid-liquid phase transition control the dynamic distribution of bacterial division FtsZ protein

Illuminating Messengers: An Update and Outlook on RNA Visualization in Bacteria

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