Title |
RodZ modulates geometric localization of the bacterial actin MreB to regulate cell shape
|
---|---|
Published in |
Nature Communications, March 2018
|
DOI | 10.1038/s41467-018-03633-x |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Alexandre Colavin, Handuo Shi, Kerwyn Casey Huang |
Abstract |
In the rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli, the actin-like protein MreB localizes in a curvature-dependent manner and spatially coordinates cell-wall insertion to maintain cell shape, although the molecular mechanism by which cell width is regulated remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that the membrane protein RodZ regulates the biophysical properties of MreB and alters the spatial organization of E. coli cell-wall growth. The relative expression levels of MreB and RodZ change in a manner commensurate with variations in growth rate and cell width, and RodZ systematically alters the curvature-based localization of MreB and cell width in a concentration-dependent manner. We identify MreB mutants that alter the bending properties of MreB filaments in molecular dynamics simulations similar to RodZ binding, and show that these mutants rescue rod-like shape in the absence of RodZ alone or in combination with wild-type MreB. Thus, E. coli can control its shape and dimensions by differentially regulating RodZ and MreB to alter the patterning of cell-wall insertion, highlighting the rich regulatory landscape of cytoskeletal molecular biophysics. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | 17% |
United States | 2 | 17% |
Sweden | 1 | 8% |
China | 1 | 8% |
Canada | 1 | 8% |
Comoros | 1 | 8% |
Unknown | 4 | 33% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 10 | 83% |
Scientists | 1 | 8% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 8% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 98 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 23 | 23% |
Researcher | 11 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 11% |
Student > Master | 10 | 10% |
Professor > Associate Professor | 8 | 8% |
Other | 14 | 14% |
Unknown | 21 | 21% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 32 | 33% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 26 | 27% |
Chemistry | 5 | 5% |
Engineering | 4 | 4% |
Physics and Astronomy | 2 | 2% |
Other | 6 | 6% |
Unknown | 23 | 23% |