Surface topology engineering of membranes for the mechanical investigation of the tubulin homologue FtsZ

Synthetic Biology: Bottom-Up Assembly of Molecular Systems

The bottom-up assembly of biological and chemical components opens exciting opportunities to engineer artificial vesicular systems for applications with previously unmet requirements. The modular combination of scaffolds and functional building blocks enables the engineering of complex systems with biomimetic or new-to-nature functionalities. Inspired by the compartmentalized organization of cells and organelles, lipid or polymer vesicles are widely used as model membrane systems to investigate the translocation of solutes and the transduction of signals by membrane proteins. The bottom-up assembly and functionalization of such artificial compartments enables full control over their composition and can thus provide specifically optimized environments for synthetic biological processes. This review aims to inspire future endeavors by providing a diverse toolbox of molecular modules, engineering methodologies, and different approaches to assemble artificial vesicular systems. Important technical and practical aspects are addressed and selected applications are presented, highlighting particular achievements and limitations of the bottom-up approach. Complementing the cutting-edge technological achievements, fundamental aspects are also discussed to cater to the inherently diverse background of the target audience, which results from the interdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology. The engineering of proteins as functional modules and the use of lipids and block copolymers as scaffold modules for the assembly of functionalized vesicular systems are explored in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring the controlled assembly of these components into increasingly complex vesicular systems. Finally, all descriptions are presented in the greater context of engineering valuable synthetic biological systems for applications in biocatalysis, biosensing, bioremediation, or targeted drug delivery.

How Does the Spatial Confinement of FtsZ to a Membrane Surface Affect Its Polymerization Properties and Function?

FtsZ is the cytoskeletal protein that organizes the formation of the septal ring and orchestrates bacterial cell division. Its association to the membrane is essential for its function. In this mini-review I will address the question of how this association can interfere with the structure and dynamic properties of the filaments and argue that its dynamics could also remodel the underlying lipid membrane through its activity. Thus, lipid rearrangement might need to be considered when trying to understand FtsZ’s function. This new element could help understand how FtsZ assembly coordinates positioning and recruitment of the proteins forming the septal ring inside the cell with the activity of the machinery involved in peptidoglycan synthesis located in the periplasmic space.

Enrichment of membrane curvature-sensing proteins from Escherichia coli using spherical supported lipid bilayers

Bacteria display dynamically organized curved membrane structures, especially during cell division. The importance of membrane curvature-sensing (MCS) proteins for the recognition and regulation of biological membrane morphologies has predominately been investigated in eukaryotic cells. Recently, a technique for screening MCS proteins from solutions that contain peripheral membrane proteins was developed, and MCS protein candidates were identified from mammalian cells. The technique uses differently sized spherical supported lipid bilayers (SSLBs), which consist of spherical SiO₂ particles covered with a lipid bilayer. To discriminate between proteins possessing the MCS property, SSLBs with the same surface area were used in a comparative sedimentation assay with shotgun proteome analysis. In this study, to prove that the technique could be applied to other samples, MCS proteins in Escherichia coli were investigated. Through a comparative proteomic study, 35 and 47 proteins were enriched as candidate MCS proteins preferentially bound to SSLBs of 100 nm and 1000 nm, respectively. Among the identified MCS candidate proteins, FtsZ and SecA were further examined for their MCS properties using the two SSLB sizes, which revealed a high binding affinity for the low membrane curvature (large SSLB). This is the first study to explore MCS proteins in prokaryotic cells and the MCS property of the SecA protein. The results demonstrate a method to enrich MCS proteins that could be utilized to better elucidate membrane dynamics and protein function expression on curved membrane structures in prokaryotic cells.

FtsZ induces membrane deformations via torsional stress upon GTP hydrolysis

FtsZ is a key component in bacterial cell division, being the primary protein of the presumably contractile Z ring. In vivo and in vitro, it shows two distinctive features that could so far, however, not be mechanistically linked: self-organization into directionally treadmilling vortices on solid supported membranes, and shape deformation of flexible liposomes. In cells, circumferential treadmilling of FtsZ was shown to recruit septum-building enzymes, but an active force production remains elusive. To gain mechanistic understanding of FtsZ dependent membrane deformations and constriction, we design an in vitro assay based on soft lipid tubes pulled from FtsZ decorated giant lipid vesicles (GUVs) by optical tweezers. FtsZ filaments actively transform these tubes into spring-like structures, where GTPase activity promotes spring compression. Operating the optical tweezers in lateral vibration mode and assigning spring constants to FtsZ coated tubes, the directional forces that FtsZ-YFP-mts rings exert upon GTP hydrolysis can be estimated to be in the pN range. They are sufficient to induce membrane budding with constricting necks on both, giant vesicles and E.coli cells devoid of their cell walls. We hypothesize that these forces result from torsional stress in a GTPase activity dependent manner.

The Assembly Switch Mechanism of FtsZ Filament Revealed by All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Coarse-Grained Models

Bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ binds and hydrolyzes GTP, and assembles into dynamic filaments that are essential for cell division. Here, we used a multi-scale computational strategy that combined all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and coarse-grained models to reveal the conformational dynamics of assembled FtsZ. We found that the top end of a filament is highly dynamic and can undergo T-to-R transitions in both GTP- and GDP-bound states. We observed several subcategories of nucleation related dimer species, which leading to a feasible nucleation pathway. In addition, we observed that FtsZ filament exhibits noticeable amounts of twisting, indicating a substantial helicity of the FtsZ filament. These results agree with the previously models and experimental data. Anisotropy network model (ANM) analysis revealed a polymerization enhanced assembly cooperativity, and indicated that the cooperative motions in FtsZ are encoded in the structure. Taken together, our study provides a molecular-level understanding of the diversity of the structural states of FtsZ and the relationships among polymerization, hydrolysis, and cooperative assembly, which should shed new light on the molecular basis of FtsZ’s cooperativity.

Versatile Phospholipid Assemblies for Functional Synthetic Cells and Artificial Tissues

The bottom-up construction of a synthetic cell from nonliving building blocks capable of mimicking cellular properties and behaviors helps to understand the particular biophysical properties and working mechanisms of a cell. A synthetic cell built in this way possesses defined chemical composition and structure. Since phospholipids are native biomembrane components, their assemblies are widely used to mimic cellular structures. Here, recent developments in the formation of versatile phospholipid assemblies are described, together with the applications of these assemblies for functional membranes (protein reconstituted giant unilamellar vesicles), spherical and nonspherical protoorganelles, and functional synthetic cells, as well as the high-order hierarchical structures of artificial tissues. Their biomedical applications are also briefly summarized. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the field of synthetic cells and artificial tissues based on phospholipid assemblies are proposed.

Reversible membrane deformations by straight DNA origami filaments

Membrane-active cytoskeletal elements, such as FtsZ, septin or actin, form filamentous polymers able to induce and stabilize curvature on cellular membranes. In order to emulate the characteristic dynamic self-assembly properties of cytoskeletal subunits in vitro, biomimetic synthetic scaffolds were here developed using DNA origami. In contrast to our earlier work with pre-curved scaffolds, we specifically assessed the potential of origami mimicking straight filaments, such as actin and microtubules, by origami presenting cholesteryl anchors for membrane binding and additional blunt end stacking interactions for controllable polymerization into linear filaments. By assessing the interaction of our DNA nanostructures with model membranes using fluorescence microscopy, we show that filaments can be formed, upon increasing MgCl2 in solution, for structures displaying blunt ends; and can subsequently depolymerize, by decreasing the concentration of MgCl2. Distinctive spike-like membrane protrusions were generated on giant unilamellar vesicles at high membrane-bound filament densities, and the presence of such deformations was reversible and shown to correlate with the MgCl2-triggered polymerization of DNA origami subunits into filamentous aggregates. In the end, our approach reveals the formation of membrane-bound filaments as a minimal requirement for membrane shaping by straight cytoskeletal-like objects.

Synthetic cell division via membrane-transforming molecular assemblies

Reproduction, i.e. the ability to produce new individuals from a parent organism, is a hallmark of living matter. Even the simplest forms of reproduction require cell division: attempts to create a designer cell therefore should include a synthetic cell division machinery. In this review, we will illustrate how nature solves this task, describing membrane remodelling processes in general and focusing on bacterial cell division in particular. We discuss recent progress made in their in vitro reconstitution, identify open challenges, and suggest how purely synthetic building blocks could provide an additional and attractive route to creating artificial cell division machineries.

Surface Orientation and Binding Strength Modulate Shape of FtsZ on Lipid Surfaces

We have used a simple model system to test the prediction that surface attachment strength of filaments presenting a torsion would affect their shape and properties. FtsZ from E. coli containing one cysteine in position 2 was covalently attached to a lipid bilayer containing maleimide lipids either in their head group (to simulate tight attachment) or at the end of a polyethylene glycol molecule attached to the head group (to simulate loose binding). We found that filaments tightly attached grew straight, growing from both ends, until they formed a two-dimensional lattice. Further monomer additions to their sides generated a dense layer of oriented filaments that fully covered the lipid membrane. After this point the surface became unstable and the bilayer detached from the surface. Filaments with a loose binding were initially curved and later evolved into straight thicker bundles that destabilized the membrane after reaching a certain surface density. Previously described theoretical models of FtsZ filament assembly on surfaces that include lateral interactions, spontaneous curvature, torsion, anchoring to the membrane, relative geometry of the surface and the filament ‘living-polymer’ condition in the presence of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) can offer some clues about the driving forces inducing these filament rearrangements.

Functional Modules of Minimal Cell Division for Synthetic Biology

Cellular reproduction is one of the fundamental hallmarks of life. Therefore, the development of a minimal division machinery capable of proper genome condensation and organization, mid-cell positioning and segregation in space and time, and the final septation process constitute a fundamental challenge for synthetic biology. It is therefore important to be able to engineer such modules for the production of artificial minimal cells. A bottom-up assembly of molecular machines from bulk biochemicals complemented by in vivo experiments as well as computational modelling helps to approach such key cellular processes. Here, minimal functional modules involved in genome segregation and the division machinery and their spatial organization and positioning are reviewed, setting into perspective the design of a minimal cell. Furthermore, the milestones of recent in vitro reconstitution experiments in the context of cell division are discussed and their role in shedding light on fundamental cellular mechanisms that constitute spatiotemporal order is described. Lastly, current challenges in the field of bottom-up synthetic biology as well as possible future developments toward the development of minimal biomimetic systems are discussed.

Bacterial cell division: modeling FtsZ assembly and force generation from single filament experimental data

The bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ binds and hydrolyzes GTP, self-aggregates into dynamic filaments and guides the assembly of the septal ring on the inner side of the membrane at midcell. This ring constricts the cell during division and is present in most bacteria. Despite exhaustive studies undertaken in the last 25 years after its discovery, we do not yet know the mechanism by which this GTP-dependent self-aggregating protein exerts force on the underlying membrane. This paper reviews recent experiments and theoretical models proposed to explain FtsZ filament dynamic assembly and force generation. It highlights how recent observations of single filaments on reconstituted model systems and computational modeling are contributing to develop new multiscale models that stress the importance of previously overlooked elements as monomer internal flexibility, filament twist and flexible anchoring to the cell membrane. These elements contribute to understand the rich behavior of these GTP consuming dynamic filaments on surfaces. The aim of this review is 2-fold: (1) to summarize recent multiscale models and their implications to understand the molecular mechanism of FtsZ assembly and force generation and (2) to update theoreticians with recent experimental results.

Species- and C-terminal linker-dependent variations in the dynamic behavior of FtsZ on membranes in vitro

Bacterial cell division requires the assembly of FtsZ protofilaments into a dynamic structure called the 'Z-ring'. The Z-ring recruits the division machinery and directs local cell wall remodeling for constriction. The organization and dynamics of protofilaments within the Z-ring coordinate local cell wall synthesis during cell constriction, but their regulation is largely unknown. The disordered C-terminal linker (CTL) region of Caulobacter crescentus FtsZ (CcFtsZ) regulates polymer structure and turnover in solution in vitro, and regulates Z-ring structure and activity of cell wall enzymes in vivo. To investigate the contributions of the CTL to the polymerization properties of FtsZ on its physiological platform, the cell membrane, we reconstituted CcFtsZ polymerization on supported lipid bilayers (SLB) and visualized polymer dynamics and structure using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Unlike Escherichia coli FtsZ protofilaments that organized into large, bundled patterns, CcFtsZ protofilaments assembled into small, dynamic clusters on SLBs. Moreover, CcFtsZ lacking its CTL formed large networks of straight filament bundles that underwent slower turnover than the dynamic clusters of wildtype FtsZ. Our in vitro characterization provides novel insights into species- and CTL-dependent differences between FtsZ assembly properties that are relevant to Z-ring assembly and function on membranes in vivo.

Treadmilling analysis reveals new insights into dynamic FtsZ ring architecture

FtsZ, the primary protein of the bacterial Z ring guiding cell division, has been recently shown to engage in intriguing treadmilling dynamics along the circumference of the division plane. When coreconstituted in vitro with FtsA, one of its natural membrane anchors, on flat supported membranes, these proteins assemble into dynamic chiral vortices compatible with treadmilling of curved polar filaments. Replacing FtsA by a membrane-targeting sequence (mts) to FtsZ, we have discovered conditions for the formation of dynamic rings, showing that the phenomenon is intrinsic to FtsZ. Ring formation is only observed for a narrow range of protein concentrations at the bilayer, which is highly modulated by free Mg²⁺ and depends upon guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis. Interestingly, the direction of rotation can be reversed by switching the mts from the C-terminus to the N-terminus of the protein, implying that the filament attachment must have a perpendicular component to both curvature and polarity. Remarkably, this chirality switch concurs with previously shown inward or outward membrane deformations by the respective FtsZ mutants. Our results lead us to suggest an intrinsic helicity of FtsZ filaments with more than one direction of curvature, supporting earlier hypotheses and experimental evidence.

FtsZ is a tubulin homologue and the primary protein of the bacterial Z ring that guides cell division. In vivo, but also in reconstituted systems, FtsZ shows an intriguing treadmilling dynamic along circular tracks of approximately 1 micrometer in diameter. In cells, this treadmilling along the circumference of the division site is suggested to dynamically guide peptidoglycan—and thus new cell wall—synthesis. In vitro, when reconstituted along with its membrane adaptor FtsA on flat supported membranes, FtsZ self-organizes into similarly treadmilling vortices as observed in vivo but with a clear chirality. With the aim of thoroughly investigating these dynamics, revealing the origin of chirality, and potentially relating it to a membrane-transforming ability of FtsZ, we reconstituted different membrane-targeted mutants of FtsZ on flat membranes. In this minimized system, we found that dynamic ring formation is an intrinsic feature of FtsZ without the need of any other protein. However, self-organization into dynamic treadmilling only occurs within a specific protein, cation, and guanosine triphosphate (GTP) concentration range. Our work led us to propose that the observed chirality of FtsZ treadmilling may be explained by an inherent helical character of the filaments with more than one direction of curvature.

Membrane sculpting by curved DNA origami scaffolds

Membrane sculpting and transformation is essential for many cellular functions, thus being largely regulated by self-assembling and self-organizing protein coats. Their functionality is often encoded by particular spatial structures. Prominent examples are BAR domain proteins, the ‘banana-like’ shapes of which are thought to aid scaffolding and membrane tubulation. To elucidate whether 3D structure can be uncoupled from other functional features of complex scaffolding proteins, we hereby develop curved DNA origami in various shapes and stacking features, following the presumable design features of BAR proteins, and characterize their ability for membrane binding and transformation. We show that dependent on curvature, membrane affinity and surface density, DNA origami coats can indeed reproduce the activity of membrane-sculpting proteins such as BAR, suggesting exciting perspectives for using them in bottom-up approaches towards minimal biomimetic cellular machineries.

BAR domain proteins feature a “banana-like” shape which is thought to aid membrane scaffolding and membrane tubulation. Here authors use DNA origami mimicking BAR domains, giant unilamellar vesicles and fluorescence imaging to study how different BAR domain shapes bind and deform membranes.

Turgor Pressure and Possible Constriction Mechanisms in Bacterial Division

Bacterial cytokinesis begins with the assembly of FtsZ into a Z ring at the center of the cell. The Z-ring constriction in Gram-negative bacteria may occur in an environment where the periplasm and the cytoplasm are isoosmotic, but in Gram-positive bacteria the constriction may have to overcome a substantial turgor pressure. We address three potential sources of invagination force. (1) FtsZ itself may generate force by curved protofilaments bending the attached membrane. This is sufficient to constrict liposomes in vitro. However, this force is on the order of a few pN, and would not be enough to overcome turgor. (2) Cell wall (CW) synthesis may generate force by pushing the plasma membrane from the outside. However, this would probably require some kind of Brownian ratchet to separate the CW and membrane sufficiently to allow a glycan strand to slip in. The elastic element is not obvious. (3) Excess membrane production has the potential to contribute significantly to the invagination force. If the excess membrane is produced under the CW, it would force the membrane to bleb inward. We propose here that a combination of FtsZ pulling from the inside, and excess membrane pushing membrane inward may generate a substantial constriction force at the division site. This combined force generation mechanism may be sufficient to overcome turgor pressure. This would abolish the need for a Brownian ratchet for CW growth, and would permit CW to operate by reinforcing the constrictions generated by FtsZ and excess membrane.

The distinctive cell division interactome of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

BACKGROUND

Bacterial cell division is an essential process driven by the formation of a Z-ring structure, as a cytoskeletal scaffold at the mid-cell, followed by the recruitment of various proteins which form the divisome. The cell division interactome reflects the complement of different interactions between all divisome proteins. To date, only two cell division interactomes have been characterized, in Escherichia coli and in Streptococcus pneumoniae. The cell divison proteins encoded by Neisseria gonorrhoeae include FtsZ, FtsA, ZipA, FtsK, FtsQ, FtsI, FtsW, and FtsN. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the cell division interactome of N. gonorrhoeae using several different methods to identify protein-protein interactions. We also characterized the specific subdomains of FtsA implicated in interactions with FtsZ, FtsQ, FtsN and FtsW.

RESULTS

Using a combination of bacterial two-hybrid (B2H), glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), nine interactions were observed among the eight gonococcal cell division proteins tested. ZipA did not interact with any other cell division proteins. Comparisons of the N. gonorrhoeae cell division interactome with the published interactomes from E. coli and S. pneumoniae indicated that FtsA-FtsZ and FtsZ-FtsK interactions were common to all three species. FtsA-FtsW and FtsK-FtsN interactions were only present in N. gonorrhoeae. The 2A and 2B subdomains of FtsA_Ng were involved in interactions with FtsQ, FtsZ, and FtsN, and the 2A subdomain was involved in interaction with FtsW.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this research indicate that N. gonorrhoeae has a distinctive cell division interactome as compared with other microorganisms.

Self-Organization of FtsZ Polymers in Solution Reveals Spacer Role of the Disordered C-Terminal Tail

FtsZ is a self-assembling GTPase that forms, below the inner membrane, the mid-cell Z-ring guiding bacterial division. FtsZ monomers polymerize head to tail forming tubulin-like dynamic protofilaments, whose organization in the Z-ring is an unresolved problem. Rather than forming a well-defined structure, FtsZ protofilaments laterally associate in vitro into polymorphic condensates typically imaged on surfaces. We describe here nanoscale self-organizing properties of FtsZ assemblies in solution that underlie Z-ring assembly, employing time-resolved x-ray scattering and cryo-electron microscopy. We find that FtsZ forms bundles made of loosely bound filaments of variable length and curvature. Individual FtsZ protofilaments further bend upon nucleotide hydrolysis, highlighted by the observation of some large circular structures with 2.5-5° curvature angles between subunits, followed by disassembly end-products consisting of highly curved oligomers and 16-subunit -220 Å diameter mini-rings, here observed by cryo-electron microscopy. Neighbor FtsZ filaments in bundles are laterally spaced 70 Å, leaving a gap in between. In contrast, close contact between filament core structures (∼50 Å spacing) is observed in straight polymers of FtsZ constructs lacking the C-terminal tail, which is known to provide a flexible tether essential for FtsZ functions in cell division. Changing the length of the intrinsically disordered C-tail linker modifies the interfilament spacing. We propose that the linker prevents dynamic FtsZ protofilaments in bundles from sticking to one another, holding them apart at a distance similar to the lateral spacing observed by electron cryotomography in several bacteria and liposomes. According to this model, weak interactions between curved polar FtsZ protofilaments through their the C-tails may facilitate the coherent treadmilling dynamics of membrane-associated FtsZ bundles in reconstituted systems, as well as the recently discovered movement of FtsZ clusters around bacterial Z-rings that is powered by GTP hydrolysis and guides correct septal cell wall synthesis and cell division.

Toward Artificial Mitochondrion: Mimicking Oxidative Phosphorylation in Polymer and Hybrid Membranes

For energy supply to biomimetic constructs, a complex chemical energy-driven ATP-generating artificial system was built. The system was assembled with bottom-up detergent-mediated reconstitution of an ATP synthase and a terminal oxidase into two types of novel nanocontainers, built from either graft copolymer membranes or from hybrid graft copolymer/lipid membranes. The versatility and biocompatibility of the proposed nanocontainers was demonstrated through convenient system assembly and through high retained activity of both membrane-embedded enzymes. In the future, the nanocontainers might be used as a platform for the functional reconstitution of other complex membrane proteins and could considerably expedite the design of nanoreactors, biosensors, and artificial organelles.

Shape Selection of Surface-Bound Helical Filaments: Biopolymers on Curved Membranes

Motivated to understand the behavior of biological filaments interacting with membranes of various types, we employ a theoretical model for the shape and thermodynamics of intrinsically helical filaments bound to curved membranes. We show that filament-surface interactions lead to a host of nonuniform shape equilibria, in which filaments progressively unwind from their native twist with increasing surface interaction and surface curvature, ultimately adopting uniform-contact curved shapes. The latter effect is due to nonlinear coupling between elastic twist and bending of filaments on anisotropically curved surfaces such as the cylindrical surfaces considered here. Via a combination of numerical solutions and asymptotic analysis of shape equilibria, we show that filament conformations are critically sensitive to the surface curvature in both the strong- and weak-binding limits. These results suggest that local structure of membrane-bound chiral filaments is generically sensitive to the curvature radius of the surface to which it is bound, even when that radius is much larger than the filament's intrinsic pitch. Typical values of elastic parameters and interaction energies for several prokaryotic and eukaryotic filaments indicate that biopolymers are inherently very sensitive to the coupling between twist, interactions, and geometry and that this could be exploited for regulation of a variety of processes such as the targeted exertion of forces, signaling, and self-assembly in response to geometric cues including the local mean and Gaussian curvatures.

Efficient Multiscale Models of Polymer Assembly

Protein polymerization and bundling play a central role in cell physiology. Predictive modeling of these processes remains an open challenge, especially when the proteins involved become large and their concentrations high. We present an effective kinetics model of filament formation, bundling, and depolymerization after GTP hydrolysis, which involves a relatively small number of species and reactions, and remains robust over a wide range of concentrations and timescales. We apply this general model to study assembly of FtsZ protein, a basic element in the division process of prokaryotic cells such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, or Caulobacter crescentus. This analysis demonstrates that our model outperforms its counterparts in terms of both accuracy and computational efficiency. Because our model comprises only 17 ordinary differential equations, its computational cost is orders-of-magnitude smaller than the current alternatives consisting of up to 1000 ordinary differential equations. It also provides, to our knowledge, a new insight into the characteristics and functioning of FtsZ proteins at high concentrations. The simplicity and versatility of our model render it a powerful computational tool, which can be used either as a standalone descriptor of other biopolymers' assembly or as a component in more complete kinetic models.

Reconstitution of Protein Dynamics Involved in Bacterial Cell Division

Even simple cells like bacteria have precisely regulated cellular anatomies, which allow them to grow, divide and to respond to internal or external cues with high fidelity. How spatial and temporal intracellular organization in prokaryotic cells is achieved and maintained on the basis of locally interacting proteins still remains largely a mystery. Bulk biochemical assays with purified components and in vivo experiments help us to approach key cellular processes from two opposite ends, in terms of minimal and maximal complexity. However, to understand how cellular phenomena emerge, that are more than the sum of their parts, we have to assemble cellular subsystems step by step from the bottom up. Here, we review recent in vitro reconstitution experiments with proteins of the bacterial cell division machinery and illustrate how they help to shed light on fundamental cellular mechanisms that constitute spatiotemporal order and regulate cell division.

FtsZ Constriction Force - Curved Protofilaments Bending Membranes

FtsZ assembles in vitro into protofilaments (pfs) that are one subunit thick and ~50 subunits long. In vivo these pfs assemble further into the Z ring, which, along with accessory division proteins, constricts to divide the cell. We have reconstituted Z rings in liposomes in vitro, using pure FtsZ that was modified with a membrane targeting sequence to directly bind the membrane. This FtsZ-mts assembled Z rings and constricted the liposomes without any accessory proteins. We proposed that the force for constriction was generated by a conformational change from straight to curved pfs. Evidence supporting this mechanism came from switching the membrane tether to the opposite side of the pf. These switched-tether pfs assembled "inside-out" Z rings, and squeezed the liposomes from the outside, as expected for the bending model. We propose three steps for the full process of cytokinesis: (a) pf bending generates a constriction force on the inner membrane, but the rigid peptidoglycan wall initially prevents any invagination; (b) downstream proteins associate to the Z ring and remodel the peptidoglycan, permitting it to follow the constricting FtsZ to a diameter of ~250 nm; the final steps of closure of the septum and membrane fusion are achieved by excess membrane synthesis and membrane fluctuations.

Protein Patterns and Oscillations on Lipid Monolayers and in Microdroplets

The Min proteins from E.coli position the bacterial cell-division machinery through pole-to-pole oscillations. In vitro, Min protein self-organization can be reconstituted in the presence of a lipid membrane as a catalytic surface. However, Min dynamics have so far not been reconstituted in fully membrane-enclosed volumes. Microdroplets interfaced by lipid monolayers were employed as a simple 3D mimic of cellular compartments to reconstitute Min protein oscillations. We demonstrate that lipid monolayers are sufficient to fulfil the catalytic role of the membrane and thus represent a facile platform to investigate Min protein regulated dynamics of the cell-division protein FtsZ-mts. In particular, we show that droplet containers reveal distinct Min oscillation modes, and reveal a dependence of FtsZ-mts structures on compartment size. Finally, co-reconstitution of Min proteins and FtsZ-mts in droplets yields antagonistic localization, thus demonstrating that droplets indeed support the analysis of complex bacterial self-organization in confined volumes.

FtsZ Protofilament Curvature Is the Opposite of Tubulin Rings

FtsZ protofilaments (pfs) form the bacterial cytokinetic Z ring. Previous work suggested that a conformational change from straight to curved pfs generated the constriction force. In the simplest model, the C-terminal membrane tether is on the outside of the curved pf, facing the membrane. Tubulin, a homologue of FtsZ, also forms pfs with a curved conformation. However, it is well-established that tubulin rings have the C terminus on the inside of the ring. Could FtsZ and tubulin rings have the opposite curvature? In this study, we explored the FtsZ curvature direction by fusing large protein tags to the FtsZ termini. Thin section electron microscopy showed that the C-terminal tag was on the outside, consistent with the bending pf model. This has interesting implications for the evolution of tubulin. Tubulin likely began with the curvature of FtsZ, but evolution managed to reverse direction to produce outward-curving rings, which are useful for pulling chromosomes.

Collective effects of torsion in FtsZ filaments

Recent evidence points to the presence of torsion in FtsZ bonds. In addition, experiments with FtsZ mutants on surfaces resulted in new aggregates that cannot be explained by older models for FtsZ dynamics. We use an interaction model for FtsZ derived from molecular dynamics simulations and expand a fine-grained lattice model used to describe FtsZ aggregates on a surface. This new model includes different anchoring angles for the monomers and allows bond twist, two ingredients that oppose each other resulting in a more dynamic and interesting system. We study the role and importance of these conflicting elements and how the aggregates are characterized by the different interaction parameters.

FtsZ Polymers Tethered to the Membrane by ZipA Are Susceptible to Spatial Regulation by Min Waves

Bacterial cell division is driven by an FtsZ ring in which the FtsZ protein localizes at mid-cell and recruits other proteins, forming a divisome. In Escherichia coli, the first molecular assembly of the divisome, the proto-ring, is formed by the association of FtsZ polymers to the cytoplasmic membrane through the membrane-tethering FtsA and ZipA proteins. The MinCDE system plays a major role in the site selection of the division ring because these proteins oscillate from pole to pole in such a way that the concentration of the FtsZ-ring inhibitor, MinC, is minimal at the cell center, thus favoring FtsZ assembly in this region. We show that MinCDE drives the formation of waves of FtsZ polymers associated to bilayers by ZipA, which propagate as antiphase patterns with respect to those of Min as revealed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The emergence of these FtsZ waves results from the displacement of FtsZ polymers from the vicinity of the membrane by MinCD, which efficiently competes with ZipA for the C-terminal region of FtsZ, a central hub for multiple interactions that are essential for division. The coupling between FtsZ polymers and Min is enhanced at higher surface densities of ZipA or in the presence of crowding agents that favor the accumulation of FtsZ polymers near the membrane. The association of FtsZ polymers to the membrane modifies the response of FtsZ to Min, and comigrating Min-FtsZ waves are observed when FtsZ is free in solution and not attached to the membrane by ZipA. Taken together, our findings show that the dynamic Min patterns modulate the spatial distribution of FtsZ polymers in controlled minimal membranes. We propose that ZipA plays an important role in mid-cell recruitment of FtsZ orchestrated by MinCDE.

Understanding nucleotide-regulated FtsZ filament dynamics and the monomer assembly switch with large-scale atomistic simulations

Bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ assembles in a head-to-tail manner, forming dynamic filaments that are essential for cell division. Here, we study their dynamics using unbiased atomistic molecular simulations from representative filament crystal structures. In agreement with experimental data, we find different filament curvatures that are supported by a nucleotide-regulated hinge motion between consecutive FtsZ monomers. Whereas GTP-FtsZ filaments bend and twist in a preferred orientation, thereby burying the nucleotide, the differently curved GDP-FtsZ filaments exhibit a heterogeneous distribution of open and closed interfaces between monomers. We identify a coordinated Mg(2+) ion as the key structural element in closing the nucleotide site and stabilizing GTP filaments, whereas the loss of the contacts with loop T7 from the next monomer in GDP filaments leads to open interfaces that are more prone to depolymerization. We monitored the FtsZ monomer assembly switch, which involves opening/closing of the cleft between the C-terminal domain and the H7 helix, and observed the relaxation of isolated and filament minus-end monomers into the closed-cleft inactive conformation. This result validates the proposed switch between the low-affinity monomeric closed-cleft conformation and the active open-cleft FtsZ conformation within filaments. Finally, we observed how the antibiotic PC190723 suppresses the disassembly switch and allosterically induces closure of the intermonomer interfaces, thus stabilizing the filament. Our studies provide detailed structural and dynamic insights into modulation of both the intrinsic curvature of the FtsZ filaments and the molecular switch coupled to the high-affinity end-wise association of FtsZ monomers.

Bacterial Filament Systems: Toward Understanding Their Emergent Behavior and Cellular Functions

Bacteria use homologs of eukaryotic cytoskeletal filaments to conduct many different tasks, controlling cell shape, division, and DNA segregation. These filaments, combined with factors that regulate their polymerization, create emergent self-organizing machines. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the assembly of these polymers and their spatial regulation by accessory factors, framing them in the context of being dynamical systems. We highlight how comparing the in vivo dynamics of the filaments with those measured in vitro has provided insight into the regulation, emergent behavior, and cellular functions of these polymeric systems.

Intergenerational continuity of cell shape dynamics in Caulobacter crescentus

We investigate the intergenerational shape dynamics of single Caulobacter crescentus cells using a novel combination of imaging techniques and theoretical modeling. We determine the dynamics of cell pole-to-pole lengths, cross-sectional widths, and medial curvatures from high accuracy measurements of cell contours. Moreover, these shape parameters are determined for over 250 cells across approximately 10000 total generations, which affords high statistical precision. Our data and model show that constriction is initiated early in the cell cycle and that its dynamics are controlled by the time scale of exponential longitudinal growth. Based on our extensive and detailed growth and contour data, we develop a minimal mechanical model that quantitatively accounts for the cell shape dynamics and suggests that the asymmetric location of the division plane reflects the distinct mechanical properties of the stalked and swarmer poles. Furthermore, we find that the asymmetry in the division plane location is inherited from the previous generation. We interpret these results in terms of the current molecular understanding of shape, growth, and division of C. crescentus.

Cytoskeletal pinning controls phase separation in multicomponent lipid membranes

We study the effect of a minimal cytoskeletal network formed on the surface of giant unilamellar vesicles by the prokaryotic tubulin homolog, FtsZ, on phase separation in freestanding lipid membranes. FtsZ has been modified to interact with the membrane through a membrane targeting sequence from the prokaryotic protein MinD. FtsZ with the attached membrane targeting sequence efficiently forms a highly interconnected network on membranes with a concentration-dependent mesh size, much similar to the eukaryotic cytoskeletal network underlying the plasma membrane. Using giant unilamellar vesicles formed from a quaternary lipid mixture, we demonstrate that the artificial membrane-associated cytoskeleton, on the one hand, suppresses large-scale phase separation below the phase transition temperature, and, on the other hand, preserves phase separation above the transition temperature. Our experimental observations support the ideas put forward in our previous simulation study: In particular, the picket fence effect on phase separation may explain why micrometer-scale membrane domains are observed in isolated, cytoskeleton-free giant plasma membrane vesicles, but not in intact cell membranes. The experimentally observed suppression of large-scale phase separation much below the transition temperatures also serves as an argument in favor of the cryoprotective role of the cytoskeleton.

Toward Spatially Regulated Division of Protocells: Insights into the E. coli Min System from in Vitro Studies

For reconstruction of controlled cell division in a minimal cell model, or protocell, a positioning mechanism that spatially regulates division is indispensable. In Escherichia coli, the Min proteins oscillate from pole to pole to determine the division site by inhibition of the primary divisome protein FtsZ anywhere but in the cell middle. Remarkably, when reconstituted under defined conditions in vitro, the Min proteins self-organize into spatiotemporal patterns in the presence of a lipid membrane and ATP. We review recent progress made in studying the Min system in vitro, particularly focusing on the effects of various physicochemical parameters and boundary conditions on pattern formation. Furthermore, we discuss implications and challenges for utilizing the Min system for division site placement in protocells.

Reconstitution of self-organizing protein gradients as spatial cues in cell-free systems

Intracellular protein gradients are significant determinants of spatial organization. However, little is known about how protein patterns are established, and how their positional information directs downstream processes. We have accomplished the reconstitution of a protein concentration gradient that directs the assembly of the cell division machinery in E.coli from the bottom-up. Reconstituting self-organized oscillations of MinCDE proteins in membrane-clad soft-polymer compartments, we demonstrate that distinct time-averaged protein concentration gradients are established. Our minimal system allows to study complex organizational principles, such as spatial control of division site placement by intracellular protein gradients, under simplified conditions. In particular, we demonstrate that FtsZ, which marks the cell division site in many bacteria, can be targeted to the middle of a cell-like compartment. Moreover, we show that compartment geometry plays a major role in Min gradient establishment, and provide evidence for a geometry-mediated mechanism to partition Min proteins during bacterial development.

Organization of FtsZ filaments in the bacterial division ring measured from polarized fluorescence microscopy

Cytokinesis in bacteria is accomplished by a ring-shaped cell-division complex (the Z-ring). The primary component of the Z-ring is FtsZ, a filamentous tubulin homolog that serves as a scaffold for the recruitment of other cell-division-related proteins. FtsZ forms filaments and bundles. In the cell, it has been suggested that FtsZ filaments form the arcs of the ring and are aligned in the cell-circumferential direction. Using polarized fluorescence microscopy in live Escherichia coli cells, we measure the structural organization of FtsZ filaments in the Z-ring. The data suggest a disordered organization: a substantial portion of FtsZ filaments are aligned in the cell-axis direction. FtsZ organization in the Z-ring also appears to depend on the bacterial species. Taken together, the unique arrangement of FtsZ suggests novel unexplored mechanisms in bacterial cell division.

ESCRT-III mediated cell division in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius - a reconstitution perspective

In the framework of synthetic biology, it has become an intriguing question what would be the minimal representation of cell division machinery. Thus, it seems appropriate to compare how cell division is realized in different microorganisms. In particular, the cell division system of Crenarchaeota lacks certain proteins found in most bacteria and Euryarchaeota, such as FtsZ, MreB or the Min system. The Sulfolobaceae family encodes functional homologs of the eukaryotic proteins vacuolar protein sorting 4 (Vps4) and endosomal sorting complex required for transport-III (ESCRT-III). ESCRT-III is essential for several eukaryotic pathways, e.g., budding of intraluminal vesicles, or cytokinesis, whereas Vps4 dissociates the ESCRT-III complex from the membrane. Cell Division A (CdvA) is required for the recruitment of crenarchaeal ESCRT-III proteins to the membrane at mid-cell. The proteins polymerize and form a smaller structure during constriction. Thus, ESCRT-III mediated cell division in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius shows functional analogies to the Z ring observed in prokaryotes like Escherichia coli, which has recently begun to be reconstituted in vitro. In this short perspective, we discuss the possibility of building such an in vitro cell division system on basis of archaeal ESCRT-III.

Torsion and curvature of FtsZ filaments

FtsZ filaments participate in bacterial cell division, but it is still not clear how their dynamic polymerization and shape exert force on the underlying membrane. We present a theoretical description of individual filaments that incorporates information from molecular dynamic simulations. The structure of the crystallized Methanococcus jannaschii FtsZ dimer was used to model a FtsZ pentamer that showed a curvature and a twist. The estimated bending and torsion angles between monomers and their fluctuations were included in the theoretical description. The MD data also permitted positioning the curvature with respect to the protein coordinates and allowed us to explore the effect of the relative orientation of the preferred curvature with respect to the surface plane. We find that maximum tension is attained when filaments are firmly attached and oriented with their curvature perpendicular to the surface and that the twist serves as a valve to release or to tighten the tension exerted by the curved filaments on the membrane. The theoretical model also shows that the presence of torsion can explain the shape distribution of short filaments observed by Atomic Force Microscopy in previously published experiments. New experiments with FtsZ covalently attached to lipid membranes show that the filament on-plane curvature depends on lipid head charge, confirming the predicted monomer orientation effects. This new model underlines the fact that the combination of the three elements, filament curvature, twist and the strength and orientation of its surface attachment, can modulate the force exerted on the membrane during cell division.

MinCDE exploits the dynamic nature of FtsZ filaments for its spatial regulation

In Escherichia coli, a contractile ring (Z-ring) is formed at midcell before cytokinesis. This ring consists primarily of FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase, that assembles into protofilaments similar to those in microtubules but different in their suprastructures. The Min proteins MinC, MinD, and MinE are determinants of Z-ring positioning in E. coli. MinD and MinE oscillate from pole to pole, and genetic and biochemical evidence concludes that MinC positions the Z-ring by coupling its assembly to the oscillations by direct inhibitory interaction. The mechanism of inhibition of FtsZ polymerization and, thus, positioning by MinC, however, is not understood completely. Our in vitro reconstitution experiments suggest that the Z-ring consists of dynamic protofilament bundles in which monomers constantly are exchanged throughout, stochastically creating protofilament ends along the length of the filament. From the coreconstitution of FtsZ with MinCDE, we propose that MinC acts on the filaments in two ways: by increasing the detachment rate of FtsZ-GDP within the filaments and by reducing the attachment rate of FtsZ monomers to filaments by occupying binding sites on the FtsZ filament lattice. Furthermore, our data show that the MinCDE system indeed is sufficient to cause spatial regulation of FtsZ, required for Z-ring positioning.

The bacterial cell division proteins FtsA and FtsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns

Bacterial cytokinesis is commonly initiated by the Z-ring, a cytoskeletal structure that assembles at the site of division. Its primary component is FtsZ, a tubulin superfamily GTPase, which is recruited to the membrane by the actin-related protein FtsA. Both proteins are required for the formation of the Z-ring, but if and how they influence each other's assembly dynamics is not known. Here, we reconstituted FtsA-dependent recruitment of FtsZ polymers to supported membranes, where both proteins self-organize into complex patterns, such as fast-moving filament bundles and chirally rotating rings. Using fluorescence microscopy and biochemical perturbations, we found that these large-scale rearrangements of FtsZ emerge from its polymerization dynamics and a dual, antagonistic role of FtsA: recruitment of FtsZ filaments to the membrane and negative regulation of FtsZ organization. Our findings provide a model for the initial steps of bacterial cell division and illustrate how dynamic polymers can self-organize into large-scale structures.

Validity and applicability of membrane model systems for studying interactions of peripheral membrane proteins with lipids

The cell membrane serves, at the same time, both as a barrier that segregates as well as a functional layer that facilitates selective communication. It is characterized as much by the complexity of its components as by the myriad of signaling process that it supports. And, herein lays the problems in its study and understanding of its behavior - it has a complex and dynamic nature that is further entangled by the fact that many events are both temporal and transient in their nature. Model membrane systems that bypass cellular complexity and compositional diversity have tremendously accelerated our understanding of the mechanisms and biological consequences of lipid-lipid and protein-lipid interactions. Concurrently, in some cases, the validity and applicability of model membrane systems are tarnished by inherent methodical limitations as well as undefined quality criteria. In this review we introduce membrane model systems widely used to study protein-lipid interactions in the context of key parameters of the membrane that govern lipid availability for peripheral membrane proteins. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Tools to study lipid functions.

MinC, MinD, and MinE drive counter-oscillation of early-cell-division proteins prior to Escherichia coli septum formation

Bacterial cell division initiates with the formation of a ring-like structure at the cell center composed of the tubulin homolog FtsZ (the Z-ring), which acts as a scaffold for the assembly of the cell division complex, the divisome. Previous studies have suggested that the divisome is initially composed of FtsZ polymers stabilized by membrane anchors FtsA and ZipA, which then recruit the remaining division proteins. The MinCDE proteins prevent the formation of the Z-ring at poles by oscillating from pole to pole, thereby ensuring that the concentration of the Z-ring inhibitor, MinC, is lowest at the cell center. We show that prior to septum formation, the early-division proteins ZipA, ZapA, and ZapB, along with FtsZ, assemble into complexes that counter-oscillate with respect to MinC, and with the same period. We propose that FtsZ molecules distal from high concentrations of MinC form relatively slowly diffusing filaments that are bound by ZapAB and targeted to the inner membrane by ZipA or FtsA. These complexes may facilitate the early stages of divisome assembly at midcell. As MinC oscillates toward these complexes, FtsZ oligomerization and bundling are inhibited, leading to shorter or monomeric FtsZ complexes, which become less visible by epifluorescence microscopy because of their rapid diffusion. Reconstitution of FtsZ-Min waves on lipid bilayers shows that FtsZ bundles partition away from high concentrations of MinC and that ZapA appears to protect FtsZ from MinC by inhibiting FtsZ turnover.

A big issue in biology for the past 100 years has been that of how a cell finds its middle. In Escherichia coli, over 20 proteins assemble at the cell center at the time of division. We show that the MinCDE proteins, which prevent the formation of septa at the cell pole by inhibiting FtsZ, drive the counter-oscillation of early-cell-division proteins ZapA, ZapB, and ZipA, along with FtsZ. We propose that FtsZ forms filaments at the pole where the MinC concentration is the lowest and acts as a scaffold for binding of ZapA, ZapB, and ZipA: such complexes are disassembled by MinC and reform within the MinC oscillation period before accumulating at the cell center at the time of division. The ability of FtsZ to be targeted to the cell center in the form of oligomers bound by ZipA and ZapAB may facilitate the early stages of divisome assembly.

Cholesterol's aliphatic side chain modulates membrane properties

The influence of cholesterol's alkyl side chain on membrane properties was studied using a series of synthetic cholesterol derivatives without a side chain or with a branched side chain consisting of 5 to 14 carbon atoms. Cholesterol's side chain is crucial for all membrane properties investigated and therefore essential for the membrane properties of eukaryotic cells.

Macromolecular interactions of the bacterial division FtsZ protein: from quantitative biochemistry and crowding to reconstructing minimal divisomes in the test tube

The division of Escherichia coli is an essential process strictly regulated in time and space. It requires the association of FtsZ with other proteins to assemble a dynamic ring during septation, forming part of the functionally active division machinery, the divisome. FtsZ reversibly interacts with FtsA and ZipA at the cytoplasmic membrane to form a proto-ring, the first molecular assembly of the divisome, which is ultimately joined by the rest of the division-specific proteins. In this review we summarize the quantitative approaches used to study the activity, interactions, and assembly properties of FtsZ under well-defined solution conditions, with the aim of furthering our understanding of how the behavior of FtsZ is controlled by nucleotides and physiological ligands. The modulation of the association and assembly properties of FtsZ by excluded-volume effects, reproducing in part the natural crowded environment in which this protein has evolved to function, will be described. The subsequent studies on the reactivity of FtsZ in membrane-like systems using biochemical, biophysical, and imaging technologies are reported. Finally, we discuss the experimental challenges to be met to achieve construction of the minimum protein set needed to initiate bacterial division, without cells, in a cell-like compartment. This integrated approach, combining quantitative and synthetic strategies, will help to support (or dismiss) conclusions already derived from cellular and molecular analysis and to complete our understanding on how bacterial division works.

Membrane reconstitution of FtsZ-ZipA complex inside giant spherical vesicles made of E. coli lipids: large membrane dilation and analysis of membrane plasticity

During the division process of Escherichia coli, the globular protein FtsZ is early recruited at the constriction site. The Z-ring, based on FtsZ filaments associated to the inner cell membrane, has been postulated to exert constriction forces. Membrane anchoring is mediated by ZipA, an essential transmembrane protein able to specifically bind FtsZ. In this work, an artificial complex of FtsZ-ZipA has been reconstituted at the inner side of spherical giant unilamellar vesicles made of E. coli lipids. Under these conditions, FtsZ polymerization, triggered when a caged GTP analogue is UV-irradiated, was followed by up to 40% vesicle inflation. The homogeneous membrane dilation was accompanied by the visualization of discrete FtsZ assemblies at the membrane. Complementary rheological data revealed enhanced elasticity under lateral dilation. This explains why vesicles can undergo large dilations in the regime of mechanical stability. A mechanical role for FtsZ polymers as promoters of membrane softening and plasticization is hypothesized.