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Takasawa T, Matsui T, Watanabe G, Kodera Y. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal differences in the conformational stability of FtsZs derived from Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16043. [PMID: 38992051 PMCID: PMC11239868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66763-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
FtsZ is highly conserved among bacteria and plays an essential role in bacterial cell division. The tense conformation of FtsZ bound to GTP assembles into a straight filament via head-to-tail associations, and then the upper subunit of FtsZ hydrolyzes GTP bound to the lower FtsZ subunit. The subunit with GDP bound disassembles accompanied by a conformational change in the subunit from the tense to relaxed conformation. Although crystal structures of FtsZ derived from several bacterial species have been determined, the conformational change from the relaxed to tense conformation has only been observed in Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ (SaFtsZ). Recent cryo-electron microscopy analyses revealed the three-dimensional reconstruction of the protofilament, in which tense molecules assemble via head-to-tail associations. However, the lower resolution of the protofilament suggested that the flexibility of the FtsZ protomers between the relaxed and tense conformations caused them to form in less-strict alignments. Furthermore, this flexibility may also prevent FtsZs other than SaFtsZ from crystalizing in the tense conformation, suggesting that the flexibility of bacterial FtsZs differs. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were performed using SaFtsZ and Bacillus subtilis FtsZ in several situations, which suggested that different features of the FtsZs affect their conformational stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taichi Takasawa
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsui
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan.
- Center for Disease Proteomics, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan.
| | - Go Watanabe
- Department of Data Science, School of Frontier Engineering, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan.
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (KISTEC), 705-1 Shimoimaizumi, Ebina, Kanagawa, 243-0435, Japan.
| | - Yoshio Kodera
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
- Center for Disease Proteomics, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
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Chakraborty J, Poddar S, Dutta S, Bahulekar V, Harne S, Srinivasan R, Gayathri P. Dynamics of interdomain rotation facilitates FtsZ filament assembly. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107336. [PMID: 38718863 PMCID: PMC11157280 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107336] [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: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
FtsZ, the tubulin homolog essential for bacterial cell division, assembles as the Z-ring at the division site, and directs peptidoglycan synthesis by treadmilling. It is unclear how FtsZ achieves kinetic polarity that drives treadmilling. To obtain insights into fundamental features of FtsZ assembly dynamics independent of peptidoglycan synthesis, we carried out structural and biochemical characterization of FtsZ from the cell wall-less bacteria, Spiroplasma melliferum (SmFtsZ). Interestingly the structures of SmFtsZ, bound to GDP and GMPPNP respectively, were captured as domain swapped dimers. SmFtsZ was found to be a slower GTPase with a higher critical concentration (CC) compared to Escherichia coli FtsZ (EcFtsZ). In FtsZs, a conformational switch from R-state (close) to T-state (open) favors polymerization. We identified that Phe224, located at the interdomain cleft of SmFtsZ, is crucial for R- to T-state transition. SmFtsZF224M exhibited higher GTPase activity and lower CC, whereas the corresponding EcFtsZM225F resulted in cell division defects in E. coli. Our results demonstrate that relative rotation of the domains is a rate-limiting step of polymerization. Our structural analysis suggests that the rotation is plausibly triggered upon addition of a GTP-bound monomer to the filament through interaction of the preformed N-terminal domain (NTD). Hence, addition of monomers to the NTD-exposed end of filament is slower in comparison to the C-terminal domain (CTD) end, thus explaining kinetic polarity. In summary, the study highlights the importance of interdomain interactions and conformational changes in regulating FtsZ assembly dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyeeta Chakraborty
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Sakshi Poddar
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India; Homi Bhabha National Institutes (HBNI), Training School Complex, Mumbai, India
| | - Soumyajit Dutta
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Vaishnavi Bahulekar
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Shrikant Harne
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India; Homi Bhabha National Institutes (HBNI), Training School Complex, Mumbai, India
| | - Pananghat Gayathri
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India.
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Vélez M. How Does the Spatial Confinement of FtsZ to a Membrane Surface Affect Its Polymerization Properties and Function? Front Microbiol 2022; 13:757711. [PMID: 35592002 PMCID: PMC9111741 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.757711] [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: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
FtsZ is the cytoskeletal protein that organizes the formation of the septal ring and orchestrates bacterial cell division. Its association to the membrane is essential for its function. In this mini-review I will address the question of how this association can interfere with the structure and dynamic properties of the filaments and argue that its dynamics could also remodel the underlying lipid membrane through its activity. Thus, lipid rearrangement might need to be considered when trying to understand FtsZ’s function. This new element could help understand how FtsZ assembly coordinates positioning and recruitment of the proteins forming the septal ring inside the cell with the activity of the machinery involved in peptidoglycan synthesis located in the periplasmic space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisela Vélez
- Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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