1
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Radler P, Loose M. A dynamic duo: Understanding the roles of FtsZ and FtsA for Escherichia coli cell division through in vitro approaches. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151380. [PMID: 38218128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria divide by binary fission. The protein machine responsible for this process is the divisome, a transient assembly of more than 30 proteins in and on the surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. Together, they constrict the cell envelope and remodel the peptidoglycan layer to eventually split the cell into two. For Escherichia coli, most molecular players involved in this process have probably been identified, but obtaining the quantitative information needed for a mechanistic understanding can often not be achieved from experiments in vivo alone. Since the discovery of the Z-ring more than 30 years ago, in vitro reconstitution experiments have been crucial to shed light on molecular processes normally hidden in the complex environment of the living cell. In this review, we summarize how rebuilding the divisome from purified components - or at least parts of it - have been instrumental to obtain the detailed mechanistic understanding of the bacterial cell division machinery that we have today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Radler
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria; University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Wien, Austria.
| | - Martin Loose
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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2
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Morrison JJ, Camberg JL. Building the Bacterial Divisome at the Septum. Subcell Biochem 2024; 104:49-71. [PMID: 38963483 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-58843-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Across living organisms, division is necessary for cell survival and passing heritable information to the next generation. For this reason, cell division is highly conserved among eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Among the most highly conserved cell division proteins in eukaryotes are tubulin and actin. Tubulin polymerizes to form microtubules, which assemble into cytoskeletal structures in eukaryotes, such as the mitotic spindle that pulls chromatids apart during mitosis. Actin polymerizes to form a morphological framework for the eukaryotic cell, or cytoskeleton, that undergoes reorganization during mitosis. In prokaryotes, two of the most highly conserved cell division proteins are the tubulin homolog FtsZ and the actin homolog FtsA. In this chapter, the functions of the essential bacterial cell division proteins FtsZ and FtsA and their roles in assembly of the divisome at the septum, the site of cell division, will be discussed. In most bacteria, including Escherichia coli, the tubulin homolog FtsZ polymerizes at midcell, and this step is crucial for recruitment of many other proteins to the division site. For this reason, both FtsZ abundance and polymerization are tightly regulated by a variety of proteins. The actin-like FtsA protein polymerizes and tethers FtsZ polymers to the cytoplasmic membrane. Additionally, FtsA interacts with later stage cell division proteins, which are essential for division and for building the new cell wall at the septum. Recent studies have investigated how actin-like polymerization of FtsA on the lipid membrane may impact division, and we will discuss this and other ways that division in bacteria is regulated through FtsZ and FtsA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah J Morrison
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Jodi L Camberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
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3
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Carabajal MPA, Bonacina J, Scarinci N, Albarracín VH, Cantero MDR, Cantiello HF. The bacterial tubulin homolog FtsZ generates electrical oscillations. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 687:149186. [PMID: 37931420 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
FtsZ, a major cytoskeletal protein in all bacteria and archaea, forms a ring that directs cytokinesis. Bacterial FtsZ is considered the ancestral homolog of the eukaryotic microtubule (MT)-forming tubulins, sharing GTPase activity and the ability to assemble into protofilaments, rings, and sheets, but not MTs. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that structures of isolated brain MTs spontaneously generate electrical oscillations and bursts of electrical activity similar to action potentials. No information about whether the prokaryotic tubulins may share similar properties is available. Here, we obtained by ammonium sulfate precipitation an enriched protein fraction of the endogenous FtsZ from wild-type Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 without any transfection or overexpression of the protein. As revealed by electron microscopy, FtsZ was detected by dot blot analysis and immunofluorescence that assembled into filaments and sheets in a polymerization buffer. We used the patch-clamp technique to explore the electrical properties of sheets of FtsZ and bacterial cells. Electrical recordings at various holding potentials ranging from ±200 mV showed a complex oscillatory behavior, with several peak frequencies between 12 and 110 Hz in the power spectra and a linear mean current response. To confirm the oscillatory electrical behavior of FtsZ we also conducted experiments with commercial recombinant FtsZ, with similar results. We also detected, by local field potentials, similar electrical oscillations in K+-depolarized pellets of E. coli cultures. FtsZ oscillations had a wider range of frequency peaks than MT sheets from eukaryotic origin. The findings indicate that the bacterial cytoskeleton generates electrical oscillators that may play a relevant role in cell division and unknown signaling mechanisms in bacterial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica P A Carabajal
- Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Salud, Tecnología y Desarrollo (IMSaTeD, CONICET-UNSE), Santiago del Estero, 4206, Argentina
| | - Julieta Bonacina
- Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Salud, Tecnología y Desarrollo (IMSaTeD, CONICET-UNSE), Santiago del Estero, 4206, Argentina
| | - Noelia Scarinci
- Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Salud, Tecnología y Desarrollo (IMSaTeD, CONICET-UNSE), Santiago del Estero, 4206, Argentina
| | - Virginia H Albarracín
- Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME, CONICET-UNT), Yerba Buena, 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Del Rocío Cantero
- Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Salud, Tecnología y Desarrollo (IMSaTeD, CONICET-UNSE), Santiago del Estero, 4206, Argentina
| | - Horacio F Cantiello
- Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Salud, Tecnología y Desarrollo (IMSaTeD, CONICET-UNSE), Santiago del Estero, 4206, Argentina.
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4
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Alotaibi BS. Targeting Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ) with bioactive phytoconstituents: An emerging strategy for antibacterial therapy. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290852. [PMID: 37647309 PMCID: PMC10468062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The rise and widespread occurrence of bacterial resistance has created an evident need for novel antibacterial drugs. Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ) is a crucial bacterial protein that forms a ring-like structure known as the Z-ring, playing a significant role in cell division. Targeting FtsZ is an effective approach for developing antibiotics that disrupt bacterial cell division and halt growth. This study aimed to use a virtual screening approach to search for bioactive phytoconstituents with the potential to inhibit FtsZ. The screening process proceeded with the filtering compounds from the IMPPAT library of phytochemicals based on their physicochemical properties using the Lipinski rule of five. This was followed by molecular docking, Pan-assay interference compounds (PAINS) filter, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET), prediction of activity spectra for biologically active substances (PASS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These filters ensured that any adverse effects that could impede the identification of potential inhibitors of FtsZ were eliminated. Following this, two phytocompounds, Withaperuvin C and Trifolirhizin, were selected after the screening, demonstrating noteworthy binding potential with FtsZ's GTP binding pocket, acting as potent GTP-competitive inhibitors of FtsZ. The study suggested that these compounds could be further investigated for developing a novel class of antibiotics after required studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bader Saud Alotaibi
- Department of Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Alquwayiyah, Saudi Arabia
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5
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Fujita J, Amesaka H, Yoshizawa T, Hibino K, Kamimura N, Kuroda N, Konishi T, Kato Y, Hara M, Inoue T, Namba K, Tanaka SI, Matsumura H. Structures of a FtsZ single protofilament and a double-helical tube in complex with a monobody. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4073. [PMID: 37429870 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39807-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
FtsZ polymerizes into protofilaments to form the Z-ring that acts as a scaffold for accessory proteins during cell division. Structures of FtsZ have been previously solved, but detailed mechanistic insights are lacking. Here, we determine the cryoEM structure of a single protofilament of FtsZ from Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpFtsZ) in a polymerization-preferred conformation. We also develop a monobody (Mb) that binds to KpFtsZ and FtsZ from Escherichia coli without affecting their GTPase activity. Crystal structures of the FtsZ-Mb complexes reveal the Mb binding mode, while addition of Mb in vivo inhibits cell division. A cryoEM structure of a double-helical tube of KpFtsZ-Mb at 2.7 Å resolution shows two parallel protofilaments. Our present study highlights the physiological roles of the conformational changes of FtsZ in treadmilling that regulate cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junso Fujita
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Amesaka
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science, Kyoto Prefectural University, 1-5 Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8522, Japan
| | - Takuya Yoshizawa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Kota Hibino
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Natsuki Kamimura
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Natsuko Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Takamoto Konishi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Yuki Kato
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Mizuho Hara
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science, Kyoto Prefectural University, 1-5 Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8522, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- dotAqua Inc., 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keiichi Namba
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research and SPring-8 Center, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Tanaka
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science, Kyoto Prefectural University, 1-5 Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8522, Japan.
| | - Hiroyoshi Matsumura
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan.
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6
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Godino E, Danelon C. Gene-Directed FtsZ Ring Assembly Generates Constricted Liposomes with Stable Membrane Necks. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200172. [PMID: 36593513 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Mimicking bacterial cell division in well-defined cell-free systems has the potential to elucidate the minimal set of proteins required for cytoskeletal formation, membrane constriction, and final abscission. Membrane-anchored FtsZ polymers are often regarded as a sufficient system to realize this chain of events. By using purified FtsZ and its membrane-binding protein FtsA or the gain-of-function mutant FtsA* expressed in PURE (Protein synthesis Using Reconstituted Elements) from a DNA template, it is shown in this study that cytoskeletal structures are formed, and yield constricted liposomes exhibiting various morphologies. However, the resulting buds remain attached to the parental liposome by a narrow membrane neck. No division events can be monitored even after long-time tracking by fluorescence microscopy, nor when the osmolarity of the external solution is increased. The results provide evidence that reconstituted FtsA-FtsZ proto-rings coating the membrane necks are too stable to enable abscission. The prospect of combining a DNA-encoded FtsZ system with assisting mechanisms to achieve synthetic cell division is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Godino
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Christophe Danelon
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629HZ, The Netherlands
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7
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Sharma AK, Poddar SM, Chakraborty J, Nayak BS, Kalathil S, Mitra N, Gayathri P, Srinivasan R. A mechanism of salt bridge-mediated resistance to FtsZ inhibitor PC190723 revealed by a cell-based screen. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar16. [PMID: 36652338 PMCID: PMC10011733 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-12-0538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cell division proteins, especially the tubulin homologue FtsZ, have emerged as strong targets for developing new antibiotics. Here, we have utilized the fission yeast heterologous expression system to develop a cell-based assay to screen for small molecules that directly and specifically target the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. The strategy also allows for simultaneous assessment of the toxicity of the drugs to eukaryotic yeast cells. As a proof-of-concept of the utility of this assay, we demonstrate the effect of the inhibitors sanguinarine, berberine, and PC190723 on FtsZ. Though sanguinarine and berberine affect FtsZ polymerization, they exert a toxic effect on the cells. Further, using this assay system, we show that PC190723 affects Helicobacter pylori FtsZ function and gain new insights into the molecular determinants of resistance to PC190723. On the basis of sequence and structural analysis and site-specific mutations, we demonstrate that the presence of salt bridge interactions between the central H7 helix and β-strands S9 and S10 mediates resistance to PC190723 in FtsZ. The single-step in vivo cell-based assay using fission yeast enabled us to dissect the contribution of sequence-specific features of FtsZ and cell permeability effects associated with bacterial cell envelopes. Thus, our assay serves as a potent tool to rapidly identify novel compounds targeting polymeric bacterial cytoskeletal proteins like FtsZ to understand how they alter polymerization dynamics and address resistance determinants in targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar Sharma
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Sakshi Mahesh Poddar
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Joyeeta Chakraborty
- Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Bhagyashri Soumya Nayak
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Srilakshmi Kalathil
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Nivedita Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Pananghat Gayathri
- Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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8
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Chaudhary R, Mishra S, Maurya GK, Rajpurohit YS, Misra HS. FtsZ phosphorylation brings about growth arrest upon DNA damage in Deinococcus radiodurans. FASEB Bioadv 2022; 5:27-42. [PMID: 36643897 PMCID: PMC9832530 DOI: 10.1096/fba.2022-00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The polymerization/depolymerization dynamics of FtsZ play a pivotal role in cell division in the majority of the bacteria. Deinococcus radiodurans, a radiation-resistant bacterium, shows an arrest of growth in response to DNA damage with no change in the level of FtsZ. This bacterium does not deploy LexA/RecA type of DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation, and its genome does not encode SulA homologues of Escherichia coli, which attenuate FtsZ functions in response to DNA damage in other bacteria. A radiation-responsive Ser/Thr quinoprotein kinase (RqkA), characterized for its role in radiation resistance in this bacterium, could phosphorylate several cognate proteins, including FtsZ (drFtsZ) at Serine 235 (S235) and Serine 335 (S335) residues. Here, we reported the detailed characterization of S235 and S335 phosphorylation effects in the regulation of drFtsZ functions and demonstrated that the phospho-mimetic replacements of these residues in drFtsZ had grossly affected its functions that could result in cell cycle arrest in response to DNA damage in D. radiodurans. Interestingly, the phospho-ablative replacements were found to be nearly similar to drFtsZ, whereas the phospho-mimetic mutant lost the wild-type protein's signature characteristics, including its dynamics under normal conditions. The kinetics of post-bleaching recovery for drFtsZ and phospho-mimetic mutant were nearly similar at 2 h post-irradiation recovery but were found to be different under normal conditions. These results highlighted the role of S/T phosphorylation in the regulation of drFtsZ functions and cell cycle arrest in response to DNA damage, which is demonstrated for the first time, in any bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reema Chaudhary
- Molecular Biology DivisionBhabha Atomic Research CentreMumbaiIndia,Life SciencesHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiIndia
| | - Shruti Mishra
- Molecular Biology DivisionBhabha Atomic Research CentreMumbaiIndia,Life SciencesHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiIndia
| | | | - Yogendra S. Rajpurohit
- Molecular Biology DivisionBhabha Atomic Research CentreMumbaiIndia,Life SciencesHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiIndia
| | - Hari S. Misra
- Molecular Biology DivisionBhabha Atomic Research CentreMumbaiIndia,Life SciencesHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiIndia
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9
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Chen Y, Li Y, Yuan C, Liu S, Xin F, Deng X, Wang X. Streptococcus mutans cell division protein FtsZ has higher GTPase and polymerization activities in acidic environment. Mol Oral Microbiol 2022; 37:97-108. [PMID: 35218317 DOI: 10.1111/omi.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The acid tolerance of Streptococcus mutans plays an important role in its cariogenic process. S. mutans initiates a powerful transcriptional and physiological adaptation mechanism, eventually shielding the cellular machinery from acid damage and contributing to bacterial survival under acidic stress conditions. Although S. mutans contains complex regulatory systems, existing studies have shown that S. mutans, unlike Escherichia coli, cannot maintain a neutral intracellular environment. As the pH of the extracellular environment decreases, the intracellular pH decreases in parallel. There is insufficient knowledge regarding the acid resistance of the intracellular proteins of S. mutans, particularly when it comes to the key cytoskeletal division protein FtsZ. In this study, the data showed that S. mutans had similar cell division progress in acidic and neutral environments. The splitting position was in the middle of cells, and the cytoplasm were divided evenly in the acidic environment. Additionally, the treadmilling velocity of S. mutans FtsZ in the middle of cells was not affected by the acidic environment. S. mutans FtsZ had higher GTPase activity in pH 6.0 buffer than in the neutral environment. Furthermore, the polymerization of S. mutans FtsZ in the acidic environment was more robust than that in the neutral environment. After two particular amino acids of S. mutans FtsZ amino acids were mutated (E88K, L269K), the polymerization of S. mutans FtsZ in the acidic environment was significantly reduced. Overall, S. mutans FtsZ exhibited higher functional activity in pH 6.0 buffer in vitro. The acid resistance of S. mutans FtsZ is affected by its particular amino acids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Chen
- Department of Cariology and Endodontology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yongliang Li
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Chongyang Yuan
- Department of Cariology and Endodontology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Shujun Liu
- Laboratory of Biomanufacturing and Food Engineering, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Fengjiao Xin
- Laboratory of Biomanufacturing and Food Engineering, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xuliang Deng
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Department of Cariology and Endodontology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
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10
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Levin PA, Janakiraman A. Localization, Assembly, and Activation of the Escherichia coli Cell Division Machinery. EcoSal Plus 2021; 9:eESP00222021. [PMID: 34910577 PMCID: PMC8919703 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0022-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Decades of research, much of it in Escherichia coli, have yielded a wealth of insight into bacterial cell division. Here, we provide an overview of the E. coli division machinery with an emphasis on recent findings. We begin with a short historical perspective into the discovery of FtsZ, the tubulin homolog that is essential for division in bacteria and archaea. We then discuss assembly of the divisome, an FtsZ-dependent multiprotein platform, at the midcell septal site. Not simply a scaffold, the dynamic properties of polymeric FtsZ ensure the efficient and uniform synthesis of septal peptidoglycan. Next, we describe the remodeling of the cell wall, invagination of the cell envelope, and disassembly of the division apparatus culminating in scission of the mother cell into two daughter cells. We conclude this review by highlighting some of the open questions in the cell division field, emphasizing that much remains to be discovered, even in an organism as extensively studied as E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Anne Levin
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Anuradha Janakiraman
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Programs in Biology and Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
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11
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Pradhan P, Margolin W, Beuria TK. Targeting the Achilles Heel of FtsZ: The Interdomain Cleft. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:732796. [PMID: 34566937 PMCID: PMC8456036 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.732796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Widespread antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens is a serious threat to public health. Thus, identification of new targets and development of new antibacterial agents are urgently needed. Although cell division is a major driver of bacterial colonization and pathogenesis, its targeting with antibacterial compounds is still in its infancy. FtsZ, a bacterial cytoskeletal homolog of eukaryotic tubulin, plays a highly conserved and foundational role in cell division and has been the primary focus of research on small molecule cell division inhibitors. FtsZ contains two drug-binding pockets: the GTP binding site situated at the interface between polymeric subunits, and the inter-domain cleft (IDC), located between the N-terminal and C-terminal segments of the core globular domain of FtsZ. The majority of anti-FtsZ molecules bind to the IDC. Compounds that bind instead to the GTP binding site are much less useful as potential antimicrobial therapeutics because they are often cytotoxic to mammalian cells, due to the high sequence similarity between the GTP binding sites of FtsZ and tubulin. Fortunately, the IDC has much less sequence and structural similarity with tubulin, making it a better potential target for drugs that are less toxic to humans. Over the last decade, a large number of natural and synthetic IDC inhibitors have been identified. Here we outline the molecular structure of IDC in detail and discuss how it has become a crucial target for broad spectrum and species-specific antibacterial agents. We also outline the drugs that bind to the IDC and their modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinkilata Pradhan
- Institute of Life Sciences, Nalco Square, Bhubaneswar, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
| | - William Margolin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, United States
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12
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Fujita J, Sugiyama S, Terakado H, Miyazaki M, Ozawa M, Ueda N, Kuroda N, Tanaka SI, Yoshizawa T, Uchihashi T, Matsumura H. Dynamic Assembly/Disassembly of Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ Visualized by High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041697. [PMID: 33567659 PMCID: PMC7914567 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
FtsZ is a key protein in bacterial cell division and is assembled into filamentous architectures. FtsZ filaments are thought to regulate bacterial cell division and have been investigated using many types of imaging techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), but the time scale of the method was too long to trace the filament formation process. Development of high-speed AFM enables us to achieve sub-second time resolution and visualize the formation and dissociation process of FtsZ filaments. The analysis of the growth and dissociation rates of the C-terminal truncated FtsZ (FtsZt) filaments indicate the net growth and dissociation of FtsZt filaments in the growth and dissociation conditions, respectively. We also analyzed the curvatures of the full-length FtsZ (FtsZf) and FtsZt filaments, and the comparative analysis indicated the straight-shape preference of the FtsZt filaments than those of FtsZf. These findings provide insights into the fundamental dynamic behavior of FtsZ protofilaments and bacterial cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junso Fujita
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan;
| | - Shogo Sugiyama
- Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan;
| | - Haruna Terakado
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
| | - Maho Miyazaki
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
| | - Mayuki Ozawa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
| | - Nanami Ueda
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
| | - Natsuko Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
| | - Shun-ichi Tanaka
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
| | - Takuya Yoshizawa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
| | - Takayuki Uchihashi
- Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan;
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.U.); (H.M.); Tel.: +81-52-789-2885 (T.U.); +81-77-561-4809 (H.M.)
| | - Hiroyoshi Matsumura
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan; (H.T.); (M.M.); (M.O.); (N.U.); (N.K.); (S.-i.T.); (T.Y.)
- Correspondence: (T.U.); (H.M.); Tel.: +81-52-789-2885 (T.U.); +81-77-561-4809 (H.M.)
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13
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Overproduction of a Dominant Mutant of the Conserved Era GTPase Inhibits Cell Division in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00342-20. [PMID: 32817092 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00342-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell growth and division are coordinated, ensuring homeostasis under any given growth condition, with division occurring as cell mass doubles. The signals and controlling circuit(s) between growth and division are not well understood; however, it is known in Escherichia coli that the essential GTPase Era, which is growth rate regulated, coordinates the two functions and may be a checkpoint regulator of both. We have isolated a mutant of Era that separates its effect on growth and division. When overproduced, the mutant protein Era647 is dominant to wild-type Era and blocks division, causing cells to filament. Multicopy suppressors that prevent the filamentation phenotype of Era647 either increase the expression of FtsZ or decrease the expression of the Era647 protein. Excess Era647 induces complete delocalization of Z rings, providing an explanation for why Era647 induces filamentation, but this effect is probably not due to direct interaction between Era647 and FtsZ. The hypermorphic ftsZ* allele at the native locus can suppress the effects of Era647 overproduction, indicating that extra FtsZ is not required for the suppression, but another hypermorphic allele that accelerates cell division through periplasmic signaling, ftsL*, cannot. Together, these results suggest that Era647 blocks cell division by destabilizing the Z ring.IMPORTANCE All cells need to coordinate their growth and division, and small GTPases that are conserved throughout life play a key role in this regulation. One of these, Era, provides an essential function in the assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit in Escherichia coli, but its role in regulating E. coli cell division is much less well understood. Here, we characterize a novel dominant negative mutant of Era (Era647) that uncouples these two activities when overproduced; it inhibits cell division by disrupting assembly of the Z ring, without significantly affecting ribosome production. The unique properties of this mutant should help to elucidate how Era regulates cell division and coordinates this process with ribosome biogenesis.
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14
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Su M, Zhao C, Li D, Cao J, Ju Z, Kim EL, Jung YS, Jung JH. Viriditoxin Stabilizes Microtubule Polymers in SK-OV-3 Cells and Exhibits Antimitotic and Antimetastatic Potential. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18090445. [PMID: 32867174 PMCID: PMC7551567 DOI: 10.3390/md18090445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubules play a crucial role in mitosis and are attractive targets for cancer therapy. Recently, we isolated viriditoxin, a cytotoxic and antibacterial compound, from a marine fungus Paecilomyces variotii. Viriditoxin has been reported to inhibit the polymerization of bacterial FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase that plays an essential role in bacterial cell division. Given the close structural homology between FtsZ and tubulin, we investigated the potential antimitotic effects of viriditoxin on human cancer cells. Viriditoxin, like paclitaxel, enhanced tubulin polymerization and stabilized microtubule polymers, thereby perturbing mitosis in the SK-OV-3 cell line. However, the morphology of the stabilized microtubules was different from that induced by paclitaxel, indicating subtle differences in the mode of action of these compounds. Microtubule dynamics are also essential in cell movement, and viriditoxin repressed migration and colony formation ability of SK-OV-3 cells. Based on these results, we propose that viriditoxin interrupts microtubule dynamics, thus leading to antimitotic and antimetastatic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Su
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Changhao Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
| | - Dandan Li
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
| | - Jiafu Cao
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Zhiran Ju
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
| | - Eun La Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
| | - Young-Suk Jung
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
| | - Jee H. Jung
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (M.S.); (C.Z.); (D.L.); (J.C.); (Z.J.); (E.L.K.); (Y.-S.J.)
- Correspondence:
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15
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Cell Division Protein FtsZ Is Unfolded for N-Terminal Degradation by Antibiotic-Activated ClpP. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.01006-20. [PMID: 32605984 PMCID: PMC7327170 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01006-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Acyldepsipeptide (ADEP) antibiotics effectively kill multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The antibacterial activity of ADEP depends on a new mechanism of action, i.e., the deregulation of bacterial protease ClpP that leads to bacterial self-digestion. Our data allow new insights into the mode of ADEP action by providing a molecular explanation for the distinct bacterial phenotypes observed at low versus high ADEP concentrations. In addition, we show that ClpP alone, in the absence of any unfoldase or energy-consuming system, and only activated by the small molecule antibiotic ADEP, leads to the unfolding of the cell division protein FtsZ. Antibiotic acyldepsipeptides (ADEPs) deregulate ClpP, the proteolytic core of the bacterial Clp protease, thereby inhibiting its native functions and concomitantly activating it for uncontrolled proteolysis of nonnative substrates. Importantly, although ADEP-activated ClpP is assumed to target multiple polypeptide and protein substrates in the bacterial cell, not all proteins seem equally susceptible. In Bacillus subtilis, the cell division protein FtsZ emerged to be particularly sensitive to degradation by ADEP-activated ClpP at low inhibitory ADEP concentrations. In fact, FtsZ is the only bacterial protein that has been confirmed to be degraded in vitro as well as within bacterial cells so far. However, the molecular reason for this preferred degradation remained elusive. Here, we report the unexpected finding that ADEP-activated ClpP alone, in the absence of any Clp-ATPase, leads to an unfolding and subsequent degradation of the N-terminal domain of FtsZ, which can be prevented by the stabilization of the FtsZ fold via nucleotide binding. At elevated antibiotic concentrations, importantly, the C terminus of FtsZ is notably targeted for degradation in addition to the N terminus. Our results show that different target structures are more or less accessible to ClpP, depending on the ADEP level present. Moreover, our data assign a Clp-ATPase-independent protein unfolding capability to the ClpP core of the bacterial Clp protease and suggest that the protein fold of FtsZ may be more flexible than previously anticipated.
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16
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Abstract
The FtsZ protein is a highly conserved bacterial tubulin homolog. In vivo, the functional form of FtsZ is the polymeric, ring-like structure (Z-ring) assembled at the future division site during cell division. While it is clear that the Z-ring plays an essential role in orchestrating cytokinesis, precisely what its functions are and how these functions are achieved remain elusive. In this article, we review what we have learned during the past decade about the Z-ring's structure, function, and dynamics, with a particular focus on insights generated by recent high-resolution imaging and single-molecule analyses. We suggest that the major function of the Z-ring is to govern nascent cell pole morphogenesis by directing the spatiotemporal distribution of septal cell wall remodeling enzymes through the Z-ring's GTP hydrolysis-dependent treadmilling dynamics. In this role, FtsZ functions in cell division as the counterpart of the cell shape-determining actin homolog MreB in cell elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan McQuillen
- Department of Biophysics & Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA; ,
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics & Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA; ,
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17
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Abstract
Bacterial cell division is initiated by the midcell assembly of polymers of the tubulin-like GTPase FtsZ. The FtsZ ring (Z-ring) is a discontinuous structure made of dynamic patches of FtsZ that undergo treadmilling motion. Roughly a dozen additional essential proteins are recruited to the division site by the dynamic Z-ring scaffold and subsequently activate cell wall synthesis to drive cell envelope constriction during division. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we summarize our understanding of the assembly and activation of the bacterial cell division machinery. We introduce polymerization properties of FtsZ and discuss our current knowledge of divisome assembly and activation. We further highlight the intimate relationship between the structure and dynamics of FtsZ and the movement and activity of cell wall synthases at the division site, before concluding with a perspective on the most important open questions on bacterial cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Mahone
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Erin D Goley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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18
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Dissecting the Functional Contributions of the Intrinsically Disordered C-terminal Tail of Bacillus subtilis FtsZ. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:3205-3221. [PMID: 32198113 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
FtsZ is a bacterial GTPase that is central to the spatial and temporal control of cell division. It is a filament-forming enzyme that encompasses a well-folded core domain and a disordered C-terminal tail (CTT). The CTT is essential for ensuring proper assembly of the cytokinetic ring, and its deletion leads to mis-localization of FtsZ, aberrant assembly, and cell death. In this work, we dissect the contributions of modules within the disordered CTT to assembly and enzymatic activity of Bacillus subtilis FtsZ (Bs-FtsZ). The CTT features a hypervariable C-terminal linker (CTL) and a conserved C-terminal peptide (CTP). Our in vitro studies show that the CTL weakens the driving forces for forming single-stranded active polymers and suppresses lateral associations of these polymers, whereas the CTP promotes the formation of alternative assemblies. Accordingly, in full-length Bs-FtsZ, the CTL acts as a spacer that spatially separates the CTP sticker from the core, thus ensuring filament formation through core-driven polymerization and lateral associations through CTP-mediated interactions. We also find that the CTL weakens GTP binding while enhancing the catalytic rate, whereas the CTP has opposite effects. The joint contributions of the CTL and CTP make Bs-FtsZ, an enzyme that is only half as efficient as a truncated version that lacks the CTT. Overall, our data suggest that the CTT acts as an auto-regulator of Bs-FtsZ assembly and as an auto-inhibitor of enzymatic activity. Based on our results, we propose hypotheses regarding the hypervariability of CTLs and compare FtsZs to other bacterial proteins with tethered IDRs.
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19
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Yoshizawa T, Fujita J, Terakado H, Ozawa M, Kuroda N, Tanaka SI, Uehara R, Matsumura H. Crystal structures of the cell-division protein FtsZ from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2020; 76:86-93. [PMID: 32039890 PMCID: PMC7010355 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x2000076x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase, is essential for bacterial cell division. In the presence of GTP, FtsZ polymerizes into filamentous structures, which are key to generating force in cell division. However, the structural basis for the molecular mechanism underlying FtsZ function remains to be elucidated. In this study, crystal structures of the enzymatic domains of FtsZ from Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpFtsZ) and Escherichia coli (EcFtsZ) were determined at 1.75 and 2.50 Å resolution, respectively. Both FtsZs form straight protofilaments in the crystals, and the two structures adopted relaxed (R) conformations. The T3 loop, which is involved in GTP/GDP binding and FtsZ assembly/disassembly, adopted a unique open conformation in KpFtsZ, while the T3 loop of EcFtsZ was partially disordered. The crystal structure of EcFtsZ can explain the results from previous functional analyses using EcFtsZ mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Yoshizawa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Junso Fujita
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Haruna Terakado
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Mayuki Ozawa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Natsuko Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Shun-ichi Tanaka
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Ryo Uehara
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Matsumura
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
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20
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Schumacher MA, Ohashi T, Corbin L, Erickson HP. High-resolution crystal structures of Escherichia coli FtsZ bound to GDP and GTP. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2020; 76:94-102. [PMID: 32039891 PMCID: PMC7010359 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x20001132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cytokinesis is mediated by the Z-ring, which is formed by the prokaryotic tubulin homolog FtsZ. Recent data indicate that the Z-ring is composed of small patches of FtsZ protofilaments that travel around the bacterial cell by treadmilling. Treadmilling involves a switch from a relaxed (R) state, favored for monomers, to a tense (T) conformation, which is favored upon association into filaments. The R conformation has been observed in numerous monomeric FtsZ crystal structures and the T conformation in Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ crystallized as assembled filaments. However, while Escherichia coli has served as a main model system for the study of the Z-ring and the associated divisome, a structure has not yet been reported for E. coli FtsZ. To address this gap, structures were determined of the E. coli FtsZ mutant FtsZ(L178E) with GDP and GTP bound to 1.35 and 1.40 Å resolution, respectively. The E. coli FtsZ(L178E) structures both crystallized as straight filaments with subunits in the R conformation. These high-resolution structures can be employed to facilitate experimental cell-division studies and their interpretation in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A. Schumacher
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3711, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Tomoo Ohashi
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3711, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lauren Corbin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Harold P. Erickson
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3711, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3711, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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21
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Dhaked HPS, Ray S, Battaje RR, Banerjee A, Panda D. Regulation ofStreptococcus pneumoniaeFtsZ assembly by divalent cations: paradoxical effects of Ca2+on the nucleation and bundling of FtsZ polymers. FEBS J 2019; 286:3629-3646. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shashikant Ray
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering Indian Institute of Technology Bombay India
- Department of Biotechnology Mahatma Gandhi Central University Motihari Bihar India
| | - Rachana Rao Battaje
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering Indian Institute of Technology Bombay India
| | - Anirban Banerjee
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering Indian Institute of Technology Bombay India
| | - Dulal Panda
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering Indian Institute of Technology Bombay India
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22
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Kopacz MM, Lorenzoni ASG, Polaquini CR, Regasini LO, Scheffers D. Purification and characterization of FtsZ from the citrus canker pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. Microbiologyopen 2019; 8:e00706. [PMID: 30085414 PMCID: PMC6528577 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac) is the causative agent of citrus canker, a plant disease that significantly impacts citriculture. In earlier work, we showed that alkylated derivatives of gallic acid have antibacterial action against Xac and target both the cell division protein FtsZ and membrane integrity in Bacillus subtilis. Here, we have purified native XacFtsZ and characterized its GTP hydrolysis and polymerization properties. In a surprising manner, inhibition of XacFtsZ activity by alkyl gallates is not as strong as observed earlier with B. subtilis FtsZ. As the alkyl gallates efficiently permeabilize Xac membranes, we propose that this is the primary mode of antibacterial action of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata M. Kopacz
- Department of Molecular MicrobiologyGroningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Department of Chemical EngineeringBiotechnology and Environmental TechnologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - André S. G. Lorenzoni
- Department of Molecular MicrobiologyGroningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Carlos R. Polaquini
- Laboratory of Antibiotics and ChemotherapeuticsDepartment of Chemistry and Environmental SciencesInstitute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact SciencesSão Paulo State University (UNESP)São José do Rio PretoSPBrazil
| | - Luis O. Regasini
- Laboratory of Antibiotics and ChemotherapeuticsDepartment of Chemistry and Environmental SciencesInstitute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact SciencesSão Paulo State University (UNESP)São José do Rio PretoSPBrazil
| | - Dirk‐Jan Scheffers
- Department of Molecular MicrobiologyGroningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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23
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Mateos-Gil P, Tarazona P, Vélez M. Bacterial cell division: modeling FtsZ assembly and force generation from single filament experimental data. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:73-87. [PMID: 30376053 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Mateos-Gil
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FO.R.T.H, Vassilika Vouton, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Pedro Tarazona
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marisela Vélez
- Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica CSIC, c/ Marie Curie 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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24
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Abstract
Spatial organization is a hallmark of all living systems. Even bacteria, the smallest forms of cellular life, display defined shapes and complex internal organization, showcasing a highly structured genome, cytoskeletal filaments, localized scaffolding structures, dynamic spatial patterns, active transport, and occasionally, intracellular organelles. Spatial order is required for faithful and efficient cellular replication and offers a powerful means for the development of unique biological properties. Here, we discuss organizational features of bacterial cells and highlight how bacteria have evolved diverse spatial mechanisms to overcome challenges cells face as self-replicating entities.
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25
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Escherichia coli ZipA Organizes FtsZ Polymers into Dynamic Ring-Like Protofilament Structures. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01008-18. [PMID: 29921670 PMCID: PMC6016244 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01008-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
ZipA is an essential cell division protein in Escherichia coli. Together with FtsA, ZipA tethers dynamic polymers of FtsZ to the cytoplasmic membrane, and these polymers are required to guide synthesis of the cell division septum. This dynamic behavior of FtsZ has been reconstituted on planar lipid surfaces in vitro, visible as GTP-dependent chiral vortices several hundred nanometers in diameter, when anchored by FtsA or when fused to an artificial membrane binding domain. However, these dynamics largely vanish when ZipA is used to tether FtsZ polymers to lipids at high surface densities. This, along with some in vitro studies in solution, has led to the prevailing notion that ZipA reduces FtsZ dynamics by enhancing bundling of FtsZ filaments. Here, we show that this is not the case. When lower, more physiological levels of the soluble, cytoplasmic domain of ZipA (sZipA) were attached to lipids, FtsZ assembled into highly dynamic vortices similar to those assembled with FtsA or other membrane anchors. Notably, at either high or low surface densities, ZipA did not stimulate lateral interactions between FtsZ protofilaments. We also used E. coli mutants that are either deficient or proficient in FtsZ bundling to provide evidence that ZipA does not directly promote bundling of FtsZ filaments in vivo. Together, our results suggest that ZipA does not dampen FtsZ dynamics as previously thought, and instead may act as a passive membrane attachment for FtsZ filaments as they treadmill. Bacterial cells use a membrane-attached ring of proteins to mark and guide formation of a division septum at midcell that forms a wall separating the two daughter cells and allows cells to divide. The key protein in this ring is FtsZ, a homolog of tubulin that forms dynamic polymers. Here, we use electron microscopy and confocal fluorescence imaging to show that one of the proteins required to attach FtsZ polymers to the membrane during E. coli cell division, ZipA, can promote dynamic swirls of FtsZ on a lipid surface in vitro. Importantly, these swirls are observed only when ZipA is present at low, physiologically relevant surface densities. Although ZipA has been thought to enhance bundling of FtsZ polymers, we find little evidence for bundling in vitro. In addition, we present several lines of in vivo evidence indicating that ZipA does not act to directly bundle FtsZ polymers.
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26
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Guan F, Yu J, Yu J, Liu Y, Li Y, Feng XH, Huang KC, Chang Z, Ye S. Lateral interactions between protofilaments of the bacterial tubulin homolog FtsZ are essential for cell division. eLife 2018; 7:35578. [PMID: 29889022 PMCID: PMC6050046 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The prokaryotic tubulin homolog FtsZ polymerizes into protofilaments, which further assemble into higher-order structures at future division sites to form the Z-ring, a dynamic structure essential for bacterial cell division. The precise nature of interactions between FtsZ protofilaments that organize the Z-ring and their physiological significance remain enigmatic. In this study, we solved two crystallographic structures of a pair of FtsZ protofilaments, and demonstrated that they assemble in an antiparallel manner through the formation of two different inter-protofilament lateral interfaces. Our in vivo photocrosslinking studies confirmed that such lateral interactions occur in living cells, and disruption of the lateral interactions rendered cells unable to divide. The inherently weak lateral interactions enable FtsZ protofilaments to self-organize into a dynamic Z-ring. These results have fundamental implications for our understanding of bacterial cell division and for developing antibiotics that target this key process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghui Guan
- Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Life Sciences Institute, Zheijiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiayu Yu
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Yu
- Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Life Sciences Institute, Zheijiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Li
- Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Hua Feng
- Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Life Sciences Institute, Zheijiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, United States
| | - Zengyi Chang
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Ye
- Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Life Sciences Institute, Zheijiang University, Hangzhou, China
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27
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Abstract
FtsZ, a homolog of tubulin, is found in almost all bacteria and archaea where it has a primary role in cytokinesis. Evidence for structural homology between FtsZ and tubulin came from their crystal structures and identification of the GTP box. Tubulin and FtsZ constitute a distinct family of GTPases and show striking similarities in many of their polymerization properties. The differences between them, more so, the complexities of microtubule dynamic behavior in comparison to that of FtsZ, indicate that the evolution to tubulin is attributable to the incorporation of the complex functionalities in higher organisms. FtsZ and microtubules function as polymers in cell division but their roles differ in the division process. The structural and partial functional homology has made the study of their dynamic properties more interesting. In this review, we focus on the application of the information derived from studies on FtsZ dynamics to study microtubule dynamics and vice versa. The structural and functional aspects that led to the establishment of the homology between the two proteins are explained to emphasize the network of FtsZ and microtubule studies and how they are connected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachana Rao Battaje
- Department of Biosciences and BioengineeringIndian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Dulal Panda
- Department of Biosciences and BioengineeringIndian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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28
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Skagia A, Zografou C, Venieraki A, Fasseas C, Katinakis P, Dimou M. Functional analysis of the cyclophilin PpiB role in bacterial cell division. Genes Cells 2017; 22:810-824. [DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aggeliki Skagia
- Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology; Faculty of Crop Science; Agricultural University of Athens; Iera Odos 75 11855 Athens Greece
| | - Chrysoula Zografou
- Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology; Faculty of Crop Science; Agricultural University of Athens; Iera Odos 75 11855 Athens Greece
| | - Anastasia Venieraki
- Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology; Faculty of Crop Science; Agricultural University of Athens; Iera Odos 75 11855 Athens Greece
| | - Costas Fasseas
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy; Faculty of Crop Science; Agricultural University of Athens; Iera Odos 75 11855 Athens Greece
| | - Panagiotis Katinakis
- Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology; Faculty of Crop Science; Agricultural University of Athens; Iera Odos 75 11855 Athens Greece
| | - Maria Dimou
- Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology; Faculty of Crop Science; Agricultural University of Athens; Iera Odos 75 11855 Athens Greece
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29
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Fujita J, Harada R, Maeda Y, Saito Y, Mizohata E, Inoue T, Shigeta Y, Matsumura H. Identification of the key interactions in structural transition pathway of FtsZ from Staphylococcus aureus. J Struct Biol 2017; 198:65-73. [PMID: 28456664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The tubulin-homolog protein FtsZ is essential for bacterial cell division. FtsZ polymerizes to form protofilaments that assemble into a contractile ring-shaped structure in the presence of GTP. Recent studies showed that FtsZ treadmilling coupled with the GTPase activity drives cell wall synthesis and bacterial cell division. The treadmilling caused by assembly and disassembly of FtsZ links to a conformational change of the monomer from a tense (T) to a relaxed (R) state, but considerable controversy still remains concerning the mechanism. In this study, we report crystal structures of FtsZ from Staphylococcus aureus corresponding to the T and R state conformations in the same crystal, indicating the structural equilibrium of the two state. The two structures identified a key residue Arg29, whose importance was also confirmed by our modified MD simulations. Crystal structures of the R29A mutant showed T and R state-like conformations with slight but important structural changes compared to those of wild-type. Collectively, these data provide new insights for understanding how intramolecular interactions are related to the structural transition of FtsZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junso Fujita
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ryuhei Harada
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences/Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Yoko Maeda
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuki Saito
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Eiichi Mizohata
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Inoue
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Shigeta
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences/Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Matsumura
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan.
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30
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Viola MG, LaBreck CJ, Conti J, Camberg JL. Proteolysis-Dependent Remodeling of the Tubulin Homolog FtsZ at the Division Septum in Escherichia coli. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170505. [PMID: 28114338 PMCID: PMC5256927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During bacterial cell division a dynamic protein structure called the Z-ring assembles at the septum. The major protein in the Z-ring in Escherichia coli is FtsZ, a tubulin homolog that polymerizes with GTP. FtsZ is degraded by the two-component ATP-dependent protease ClpXP. Two regions of FtsZ, located outside of the polymerization domain in the unstructured linker and at the C-terminus, are important for specific recognition and degradation by ClpXP. We engineered a synthetic substrate containing green fluorescent protein (Gfp) fused to an extended FtsZ C-terminal tail (residues 317–383), including the unstructured linker and the C-terminal conserved region, but not the polymerization domain, and showed that it is sufficient to target a non-native substrate for degradation in vitro. To determine if FtsZ degradation regulates Z-ring assembly during division, we expressed a full length Gfp-FtsZ fusion protein in wild type and clp deficient strains and monitored fluorescent Z-rings. In cells deleted for clpX or clpP, or cells expressing protease-defective mutant protein ClpP(S97A), Z-rings appear normal; however, after photobleaching a region of the Z-ring, fluorescence recovers ~70% more slowly in cells without functional ClpXP than in wild type cells. Gfp-FtsZ(R379E), which is defective for degradation by ClpXP, also assembles into Z-rings that recover fluorescence ~2-fold more slowly than Z-rings containing Gfp-FtsZ. In vitro, ClpXP cooperatively degrades and disassembles FtsZ polymers. These results demonstrate that ClpXP is a regulator of Z-ring dynamics and that the regulation is proteolysis-dependent. Our results further show that FtsZ-interacting proteins in E. coli fine-tune Z-ring dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa G. Viola
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. LaBreck
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Joseph Conti
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Jodi L. Camberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Loose M, Zieske K, Schwille P. Reconstitution of Protein Dynamics Involved in Bacterial Cell Division. Subcell Biochem 2017; 84:419-444. [PMID: 28500535 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53047-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Loose
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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32
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Abstract
In bacteria and archaea, the most widespread cell division system is based on the tubulin homologue FtsZ protein, whose filaments form the cytokinetic Z-ring. FtsZ filaments are tethered to the membrane by anchors such as FtsA and SepF and are regulated by accessory proteins. One such set of proteins is responsible for Z-ring's spatiotemporal regulation, essential for the production of two equal-sized daughter cells. Here, we describe how our still partial understanding of the FtsZ-based cell division process has been progressed by visualising near-atomic structures of Z-rings and complexes that control Z-ring positioning in cells, most notably the MinCDE and Noc systems that act by negatively regulating FtsZ filaments. We summarise available data and how they inform mechanistic models for the cell division process.
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33
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Xiao J, Goley ED. Redefining the roles of the FtsZ-ring in bacterial cytokinesis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 34:90-96. [PMID: 27620716 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In most bacteria, cell division relies on the functions of an essential protein, FtsZ. FtsZ polymerizes at the future division site to form a ring-like structure, termed the Z-ring, that serves as a scaffold to recruit all other division proteins, and possibly generates force to constrict the cell. The scaffolding function of the Z-ring is well established, but the force generating function has recently been called into question. Additionally, new findings have demonstrated that the Z-ring is more directly linked to cell wall metabolism than simply recruiting enzymes to the division site. Here we review these advances and suggest that rather than generating a rate-limiting constrictive force, the Z-ring's function may be redefined as an orchestrator of septum synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Erin D Goley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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34
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Baranova N, Loose M. Single-molecule measurements to study polymerization dynamics of FtsZ-FtsA copolymers. Methods Cell Biol 2016; 137:355-370. [PMID: 28065316 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cytokinesis is commonly initiated by the Z-ring, a dynamic cytoskeletal structure that assembles at the site of division. Its primary component is FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase, that like its eukaryotic relative forms protein filaments in the presence of GTP. Since the discovery of the Z-ring 25years ago, various models for the role of FtsZ have been suggested. However, important information about the architecture and dynamics of FtsZ filaments during cytokinesis is still missing. One reason for this lack of knowledge has been the small size of bacteria, which has made it difficult to resolve the orientation and dynamics of individual FtsZ filaments in the Z-ring. While superresolution microscopy experiments have helped to gain more information about the organization of the Z-ring in the dividing cell, they were not yet able to elucidate a mechanism of how FtsZ filaments reorganize during assembly and disassembly of the Z-ring. In this chapter, we explain how to use an in vitro reconstitution approach to investigate the self-organization of FtsZ filaments recruited to a biomimetic lipid bilayer by its membrane anchor FtsA. We show how to perform single-molecule experiments to study the behavior of individual FtsZ monomers during the constant reorganization of the FtsZ-FtsA filament network. We describe how to analyze the dynamics of single molecules and explain why this information can help to shed light onto possible mechanism of Z-ring constriction. We believe that similar experimental approaches will be useful to study the mechanism of membrane-based polymerization of other cytoskeletal systems, not only from prokaryotic but also eukaryotic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Baranova
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - M Loose
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
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35
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Abstract
Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ), an essential cell division protein in bacteria, has recently emerged as an important and exploitable antibacterial target. Cytokinesis in bacteria is regulated by the assembly dynamics of this protein, which is ubiquitously present in eubacteria. The perturbation of FtsZ assembly has been found to have a deleterious effect on the cytokinetic machinery and, in turn, upon cell survival. FtsZ is highly conserved among prokaryotes, offering the possibility of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, while its limited sequence homology with tubulin (an essential protein in eukaryotic mitosis) offers the possibility of selective toxicity. This review aims to summarize current knowledge regarding the mechanism of action of FtsZ, and to highlight existing attempts toward the development of clinically useful inhibitors.
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36
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Characterization of the in vitro assembly of FtsZ in Arthrobacter strain A3 using light scattering. Int J Biol Macromol 2016; 91:294-8. [PMID: 27164494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.04.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of FtsZ, the bacterial homolog of tubulin, plays an essential role in cell division. Light scattering technique is applied to real-time monitor the in vitro assembly of FtsZ in Arthrobacter strain A3, a newly isolated psychrotrophic bacterium. The critical concentration needed for the assembly is estimated as 6.7μM. The polymerization of FtsZ in Arthrobacter strain A3 requires both GTP and divalent metal ions, while salt is an unfavorable condition for the assembly. The FtsZ polymerizes under a wide range of pHs, with the fastest rate around pH 6.0. The FtsZ from Arthrobacter strain A3 resembles Mycobacterium tuberculosis FtsZ in terms of the dependence on divalent metal ions and the slow polymerization rate, while it is different from M. tuberculosis FtsZ considering the sensitivity to salt and pH. The comparison of FtsZ from different organisms will greatly advance our understanding of the biological role of the key cell division protein.
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37
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Chen X, Zhang B, Xiao J, Ju F, Li S, Ren C, An L, Chen T, Liu G, Facey P, Mullins JG, Dyson P. RfiA, a novel PAP2 domain-containing polytopic membrane protein that confers resistance to the FtsZ inhibitor PC190723. Future Microbiol 2016; 10:325-35. [PMID: 25812456 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.14.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As an essential protein for bacterial cell division, the tubulin-like FtsZ protein has been selected as a target for development of next generation antimicrobials. PC190723 is a fluoride-containing benzamide compound developed as a FtsZ inhibitor that selectively inhibits growth of multidrug resistant Gram-positive bacteria. AIM Our aim was to investigate the mechanism of resistance to PC109723 conferred by over-expression of a gene, rfiA, in an environmental bacterium Arthrobacter A3. MATERIALS & METHODS The investigations included analysis of the effect of PC109723 on wild-type Arthrobacter A3 and a recombinant strain over-expressing rfiA, in vivo localization of RfiA, in vitro measurements of fluorine release from PC109723 by membrane extracts from the over-expression strain combined with mass spectrophotometric analysis of reaction products, and modelling of RfiA structure. RESULTS We describe a novel protein, RfiA, from Arthrobacter A3 that confers PC190723 resistance. RfiA is a PAP2 domain-containing polytopic transmembrane protein that can modify the fluoridated benzamide ring that is critical for high affinity binding of PC190723 with FtsZ. CONCLUSION RfiA-mediated modification of PC190723 is the first reported instance of resistance to this antibiotic involving a change to its structure. We predict that adoption of PC190723 or related benzamides as antimicrobials in clinical practice will lead to the acquisition by resistant pathogens of a gene encoding this subfamily of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources & Engineering of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Mishra S, Jakkala K, Srinivasan R, Arumugam M, Ranjeri R, Gupta P, Rajeswari H, Ajitkumar P. NDK Interacts with FtsZ and Converts GDP to GTP to Trigger FtsZ Polymerisation--A Novel Role for NDK. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143677. [PMID: 26630542 PMCID: PMC4668074 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), conserved across bacteria to humans, synthesises NTP from NDP and ATP. The eukaryotic homologue, the NDPK, uses ATP to phosphorylate the tubulin-bound GDP to GTP for tubulin polymerisation. The bacterial cytokinetic protein FtsZ, which is the tubulin homologue, also uses GTP for polymerisation. Therefore, we examined whether NDK can interact with FtsZ to convert FtsZ-bound GDP and/or free GDP to GTP to trigger FtsZ polymerisation. Methods Recombinant and native NDK and FtsZ proteins of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used as the experimental samples. FtsZ polymersation was monitored using 90° light scattering and FtsZ polymer pelleting assays. The γ32P-GTP synthesised by NDK from GDP and γ32P-ATP was detected using thin layer chromatography and quantitated using phosphorimager. The FtsZ bound 32P-GTP was quantitated using phosphorimager, after UV-crosslinking, followed by SDS-PAGE. The NDK-FtsZ interaction was determined using Ni2+-NTA-pulldown assay and co-immunoprecipitation of the recombinant and native proteins in vitro and ex vivo, respectively. Results NDK triggered instantaneous polymerisation of GDP-precharged recombinant FtsZ in the presence of ATP, similar to the polymerisation of recombinant FtsZ (not GDP-precharged) upon the direct addition of GTP. Similarly, NDK triggered polymerisation of recombinant FtsZ (not GDP-precharged) in the presence of free GDP and ATP as well. Mutant NDK, partially deficient in GTP synthesis from ATP and GDP, triggered low level of polymerisation of MsFtsZ, but not of MtFtsZ. As characteristic of NDK’s NTP substrate non-specificity, it used CTP, TTP, and UTP also to convert GDP to GTP, to trigger FtsZ polymerisation. The NDK of one mycobacterial species could trigger the polymerisation of the FtsZ of another mycobacterial species. Both the recombinant and the native NDK and FtsZ showed interaction with each other in vitro and ex vivo, alluding to the possibility of direct phosphorylation of FtsZ-bound GDP by NDK. Conclusion Irrespective of the bacterial species, NDK interacts with FtsZ in vitro and ex vivo and, through the synthesis of GTP from FtsZ-bound GDP and/or free GDP, and ATP (CTP/TTP/UTP), triggers FtsZ polymerisation. The possible biological context of this novel activity of NDK is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Mishra
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Kishor Jakkala
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Muthu Arumugam
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Raghavendra Ranjeri
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Prabuddha Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Haryadi Rajeswari
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Parthasarathi Ajitkumar
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- * E-mail:
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39
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Miguel A, Hsin J, Liu T, Tang G, Altman RB, Huang KC. Variations in the binding pocket of an inhibitor of the bacterial division protein FtsZ across genotypes and species. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004117. [PMID: 25811761 PMCID: PMC4374959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent increase in antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria calls for new approaches to drug-target selection and drug development. Targeting the mechanisms of action of proteins involved in bacterial cell division bypasses problems associated with increasingly ineffective variants of older antibiotics; to this end, the essential bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ is a promising target. Recent work on its allosteric inhibitor, PC190723, revealed in vitro activity on Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ and in vivo antimicrobial activities. However, the mechanism of drug action and its effect on FtsZ in other bacterial species are unclear. Here, we examine the structural environment of the PC190723 binding pocket using PocketFEATURE, a statistical method that scores the similarity between pairs of small-molecule binding sites based on 3D structure information about the local microenvironment, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We observed that species and nucleotide-binding state have significant impacts on the structural properties of the binding site, with substantially disparate microenvironments for bacterial species not from the Staphylococcus genus. Based on PocketFEATURE analysis of MD simulations of S. aureus FtsZ bound to GTP or with mutations that are known to confer PC190723 resistance, we predict that PC190723 strongly prefers to bind Staphylococcus FtsZ in the nucleotide-bound state. Furthermore, MD simulations of an FtsZ dimer indicated that polymerization may enhance PC190723 binding. Taken together, our results demonstrate that a drug-binding pocket can vary significantly across species, genetic perturbations, and in different polymerization states, yielding important information for the further development of FtsZ inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Miguel
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jen Hsin
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Tianyun Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Grace Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Russ B. Altman
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Broughton CE, Roper DI, Van Den Berg HA, Rodger A. Bacterial cell division: experimental and theoretical approaches to the divisome. Sci Prog 2015; 98:313-45. [PMID: 26790174 PMCID: PMC10365498 DOI: 10.3184/003685015x14461391862881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cell division is a key event in the bacterial life cycle. It involves constriction at the midcell, so that one cell can give rise to two daughter cells. This constriction is mediated by a ring composed offibrous multimers of the protein FtsZ. However a host of additional factors is involved in the formation and dynamics of this "Z-ring" and this complicated apparatus is collectively known as the "divisome". We review the literature, with an emphasis on mathematical modelling, and show how such theoretical efforts have helped experimentalists to make sense of the at times bewildering data, and plan further experiments.
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Structure and function of a spectrin-like regulator of bacterial cytokinesis. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5421. [PMID: 25403286 PMCID: PMC4243239 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cell division is facilitated by a molecular machine--the divisome--that assembles at mid-cell in dividing cells. The formation of the cytokinetic Z-ring by the tubulin homologue FtsZ is regulated by several factors, including the divisome component EzrA. Here we describe the structure of the 60-kDa cytoplasmic domain of EzrA, which comprises five linear repeats of an unusual triple helical bundle. The EzrA structure is bent into a semicircle, providing the protein with the potential to interact at both N- and C-termini with adjacent membrane-bound divisome components. We also identify at least two binding sites for FtsZ on EzrA and map regions of EzrA that are responsible for regulating FtsZ assembly. The individual repeats, and their linear organization, are homologous to the spectrin proteins that connect actin filaments to the membrane in eukaryotes, and we thus propose that EzrA is the founding member of the bacterial spectrin family.
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Roach EJ, Kimber MS, Khursigara CM. Crystal structure and site-directed mutational analysis reveals key residues involved in Escherichia coli ZapA function. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:23276-86. [PMID: 25002581 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.561928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
FtsZ is an essential cell division protein in Escherichia coli, and its localization, filamentation, and bundling at the mid-cell are required for Z-ring stability. Once assembled, the Z-ring recruits a series of proteins that comprise the bacterial divisome. Zaps (FtsZ-associated proteins) stabilize the Z-ring by increasing lateral interactions between individual filaments, bundling FtsZ to provide a scaffold for divisome assembly. The x-ray crystallographic structure of E. coli ZapA was determined, identifying key structural differences from the existing ZapA structure from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including a charged α-helix on the globular domains of the ZapA tetramer. Key helix residues in E. coli ZapA were modified using site-directed mutagenesis. These ZapA variants significantly decreased FtsZ bundling in protein sedimentation assays when compared with WT ZapA proteins. Electron micrographs of ZapA-bundled FtsZ filaments showed the modified ZapA variants altered the number of FtsZ filaments per bundle. These in vitro results were corroborated in vivo by expressing the ZapA variants in an E. coli ΔzapA strain. In vivo, ZapA variants that altered FtsZ bundling showed an elongated phenotype, indicating improper cell division. Our findings highlight the importance of key ZapA residues that influence the extent of FtsZ bundling and that ultimately affect Z-ring formation in dividing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse J Roach
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Matthew S Kimber
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Cezar M Khursigara
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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MinCDE exploits the dynamic nature of FtsZ filaments for its spatial regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E1192-200. [PMID: 24707052 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1317764111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Zehr EA, Kraemer JA, Erb ML, Coker JKC, Montabana EA, Pogliano J, Agard DA. The structure and assembly mechanism of a novel three-stranded tubulin filament that centers phage DNA. Structure 2014; 22:539-48. [PMID: 24631461 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Tubulins are a universally conserved protein superfamily that carry out diverse biological roles by assembling filaments with very different architectures. The underlying basis of this structural diversity is poorly understood. Here, we determine a 7.1 Å cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of the bacteriophage-encoded PhuZ filament and provide molecular-level insight into its cooperative assembly mechanism. The PhuZ family of tubulins is required to actively center the phage within infected host cells, facilitating efficient phage replication. Our reconstruction and derived model reveal the first example of a three-stranded tubulin filament. We show that the elongated C-terminal tail simultaneously stabilizes both longitudinal and lateral interactions, which in turn define filament architecture. Identified interaction surfaces are conserved within the PhuZ family, and their mutagenesis compromises polymerization in vitro and in vivo. Combining kinetic modeling of PhuZ filament assembly and structural data, we suggest a common filament structure and assembly mechanism for the PhuZ family of tubulins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena A Zehr
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - James A Kraemer
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Marcella L Erb
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joanna K C Coker
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Montabana
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Joe Pogliano
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Modi KM, Tewari R, Misra HS. FtsZDr, a tubulin homologue in radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is characterized as a GTPase exhibiting polymerization/depolymerization dynamics in vitro and FtsZ ring formation in vivo. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2014; 50:38-46. [PMID: 24502896 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2014.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The GTPase-dependent polymerization/depolymerization dynamics of FtsZ regulate bacterial cell division in vivo. Deinococcus radiodurans is better known for its extraordinary radioresistance and therefore, the characterization of FtsZ of this bacterium (FtsZDr) would be required to understand the mechanisms underlying regulation of cell division in response to DNA damage. Recombinant FtsZDr bound to GTP and showed GTPase activity. It produced bundles of protofilaments in the presence of either GTP or Mg2+ ions. But the formation of the higher size ordered structures required both GTP and Mg2+ in vitro. It showed polymerization/depolymerization dynamics as a function of GTP and Mg2+. Interestingly, ATP interacted with FtsZDr and stimulated its GTPase activity by ∼2-fold possibly by increasing both substrate affinity and rate of reaction. FtsZDr-GFP expressing in D. radiodurans produced typical Z ring perpendicular to the plane of first cell division. These results suggested that FtsZDr is a GTPase in vitro and produces typical Z ring at the mid cell position in D. radiodurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kruti Mehta Modi
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Raghvendra Tewari
- Material Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Hari Sharan Misra
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India.
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Buss J, Coltharp C, Huang T, Pohlmeyer C, Wang SC, Hatem C, Xiao J. In vivo organization of the FtsZ-ring by ZapA and ZapB revealed by quantitative super-resolution microscopy. Mol Microbiol 2013; 89:1099-120. [PMID: 23859153 PMCID: PMC3894617 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In most bacterial cells, cell division is dependent on the polymerization of the FtsZ protein to form a ring-like structure (Z-ring) at the midcell. Despite its essential role, the molecular architecture of the Z-ring remains elusive. In this work we examine the roles of two FtsZ-associated proteins, ZapA and ZapB, in the assembly dynamics and structure of the Z-ring in Escherichia coli cells. In cells deleted of zapA or zapB, we observed abnormal septa and highly dynamic FtsZ structures. While details of these FtsZ structures are difficult to discern under conventional fluorescence microscopy, single-molecule-based super-resolution imaging method Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM) reveals that these FtsZ structures arise from disordered arrangements of FtsZ clusters. Quantitative analysis finds these clusters are larger and comprise more molecules than a single FtsZ protofilament, and likely represent a distinct polymeric species that is inherent to the assembly pathway of the Z-ring. Furthermore, we find these clusters are not due to the loss of ZapB-MatP interaction in ΔzapA and ΔzapB cells. Our results suggest that the main function of ZapA and ZapB in vivo may not be to promote the association of individual protofilaments but to align FtsZ clusters that consist of multiple FtsZ protofilaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Buss
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carla Coltharp
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Chris Pohlmeyer
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shih-Chin Wang
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Christine Hatem
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Jones TH, Vail KM, McMullen LM. Filament formation by foodborne bacteria under sublethal stress. Int J Food Microbiol 2013; 165:97-110. [PMID: 23727653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A number of studies have reported that pathogenic and nonpathogenic foodborne bacteria have the ability to form filaments in microbiological growth media and foods after prolonged exposure to sublethal stress or marginal growth conditions. In many cases, nucleoids are evenly spaced throughout the filamentous cells but septa are not visible, indicating that there is a blockage in the early steps of cell division but the mechanism behind filament formation is not clear. The formation of filamentous cells appears to be a reversible stress response. When filamentous cells are exposed to more favorable growth conditions, filaments divide rapidly into a number of individual cells, which may have major health and regulatory implications for the food industry because the potential numbers of viable bacteria will be underestimated and may exceed tolerated levels in foods when filamentous cells that are subjected to sublethal stress conditions are enumerated. Evidence suggests that filament formation under a number of sublethal stresses may be linked to a reduced energy state of bacterial cells. This review focuses on the conditions and extent of filament formation by foodborne bacteria under conditions that are used to control the growth of microorganisms in foods such as suboptimal pH, high pressure, low water activity, low temperature, elevated CO2 and exposure to antimicrobial substances as well as lack a of nutrients in the food environment and explores the impact of the sublethal stresses on the cell's inability to divide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tineke H Jones
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C&E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta T4L 1W1, Canada.
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Abstract
Prokaryotic cell division is a highly orchestrated process requiring the formation of a wide range of biomolecular complexes, perhaps the most important of these involving the prokaryotic tubulin homologue FtsZ, a fibre-forming GTPase. FtsZ assembles into a ring (the Z-ring) on the inner surface of the inner membrane at the site of cell division. The Z-ring then acts as a recruitment site for at least ten other proteins which form the division apparatus. One of these proteins, ZapA, acts to enhance lateral associations between FtsZ fibres to form bundles. Previously we have expressed, purified and crystallized ZapA and demonstrated that it exists as a tetramer. We also showed that ZapA binds to FtsZ polymers, strongly promoting their bundling, while inhibiting FtsZ GTPase activity by inducing conformational changes in the bound nucleotide. In the present study we investigate the importance of the tetramerization of ZapA on its function. We generated a number of mutant forms of ZapA with the aim of disrupting the dimer-dimer interface. We show that one of these mutants, I83E, is fully folded and binds to FtsZ, but is a constitutive dimer. Using this mutant we show that tetramerization is a requirement for both FtsZ bundling and GTPase modulation activities.
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Sharma R, Hoti SL, Vasuki V, Sankari T, Meena RL, Das PK. Filamentation temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ) of Wolbachia, endosymbiont of Wuchereria bancrofti: a potential target for anti-filarial chemotherapy. Acta Trop 2013; 125:330-8. [PMID: 23262214 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a leading cause of morbidity in the tropical world. It is caused by the filarial parasites Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori and transmitted by vector mosquitoes. Currently a programme for the elimination of LF, Global programme for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF), is underway with the strategy of mass administration of single dose of diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin, in combination with an anthelmintic drug, albendazole. However, antifilarial drugs used in the programme are only microfilaricidal but not or only partially macrofilaricidal. Hence, there is a need to identify new targets for developing antifilarial drugs. Filarial parasites harbor rickettsial endosymbionts, Wolbachia sp., which play an important role in their biology and hence are considered as potential targets for antifilarial chemotherapy development. In this study, one of the cell division proteins of Wolbachia of the major lymphatic filarial parasite, W. bancrofti, viz., filamentation temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ), was explored as a drug target. The gene coding for FtsZ protein was amplified from the genomic DNA of W. bancrofti, cloned and sequenced. The derived amino acid sequence of the gene revealed that FtsZ protein is 396 amino acids long and contained the tubulin motif (GGGTGTG) involved in GTP binding and the GTP hydrolyzing motif (NLDFAD). The FtsZ gene of endosymbiont showed limited sequence homology, but exhibited functional homology with β-tubulin of its host, W. bancrofti, as it had both the functional motifs and conserved amino acids that are critical for enzymatic activity. β-tubulin is the target for the anti-helminthic activity of albendazole and since FtsZ shares functional homology with, β-tubulin it may also be sensitive to albendazole. Therefore, the effect of albendazole was tested against Wolbachia occurring in mosquitoes instead of filarial parasites as the drug has lethal effect on the latter. Third instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus were treated with 0.25mg/ml of albendazole (test) or tetracycline (positive control) in the rearing medium for different intervals and tested for the presence of Wolbachia by FtsZ PCR. All the treated larvae were negative for the presence of the FtsZ band, whereas all the control larvae were positive. The findings of the study, thus indicated that FtsZ is sensitive to albendazole. In view of this albendazole appears to have dual targets; FtsZ in Wolbachia and β-tubulin in W. bancrofti. Further, the functional domain of the gene was assessed for polymorphism among recombinant clones representing 120 W. bancrofti parasites, prevalent across wide geographic areas of India and found to be highly conserved among them. Since it is highly conserved and plays an important role in Wolbachia cell division it appears to be a potential target for anti-filarial chemotherapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Sharma
- Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Medical Complex, Puducherry, India
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Shin JY, Vollmer W, Lagos R, Monasterio O. Glutamate 83 and arginine 85 of helix H3 bend are key residues for FtsZ polymerization, GTPase activity and cellular viability of Escherichia coli: lateral mutations affect FtsZ polymerization and E. coli viability. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:26. [PMID: 23384248 PMCID: PMC3626584 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background FtsZ is an essential cell division protein, which localizes at the middle of the bacterial cell to mediate cytokinesis. In vitro, FtsZ polymerizes and induces GTPase activity through longitudinal interactions to form the protofilaments, whilst lateral interactions result within formation of bundles. The interactions that participate in the protofilaments are similar to its eukaryotic homologue tubulin and are well characterized; however, lateral interactions between the inter protofilaments are less defined. FtsZ forms double protofilaments in vitro, though the key elements on the interface of the inter-protofilaments remain unclear as well as the structures involved in the lateral interactions in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we demonstrate that the highly conserved negative charge of glutamate 83 and the positive charge of arginine 85 located in the helix H3 bend of FtsZ are required for in vitro FtsZ lateral and longitudinal interactions, respectively and for in vivo cell division. Results The effect of mutation on the widely conserved glutamate-83 and arginine-85 residues located in the helix H3 (present in most of the tubulin family) was evaluated by in vitro and in situ experiments. The morphology of the cells expressing Escherichia coli FtsZ (E83Q) mutant at 42°C formed filamented cells while those expressing FtsZ(R85Q) formed shorter filamented cells. In situ immunofluorescence experiments showed that the FtsZ(E83Q) mutant formed rings within the filamented cells whereas those formed by the FtsZ(R85Q) mutant were less defined. The expression of the mutant proteins diminished cell viability as follows: wild type > E83Q > R85Q. In vitro, both, R85Q and E83Q reduced the rate of FtsZ polymerization (WT > E83Q >> R85Q) and GTPase activity (WT > E83Q >> R85Q). R85Q protein polymerized into shorter filaments compared to WT and E83Q, with a GTPase lag period that was inversely proportional to the protein concentration. In the presence of ZipA, R85Q GTPase activity increased two fold, but no bundles were formed suggesting that lateral interactions were affected. Conclusions We found that glutamate 83 and arginine 85 located in the bend of helix H3 at the lateral face are required for the protofilament lateral interaction and also affects the inter-protofilament lateral interactions that ultimately play a role in the functional localization of the FtsZ ring at the cell division site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Yen Shin
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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