Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
08:47
Super-resolution Imaging of the Bacterial Division Machinery
Published on: January 21, 2013
Mitochondrial FtsZ in a chromophyte alga
1Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, 3125, Australia. plbeech@deakin.edu.au
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 26, 2000
Summary
Researchers identified a bacterial cell division gene homolog in the alga Mallomonas splendens. This protein, MsFtsZ-mt, is linked to mitochondrial division, distinct from its known role in chloroplasts.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Algal Research
Background:
- The bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is crucial for prokaryotic cytokinesis.
- FtsZ homologs are known to function in chloroplast division in eukaryotic algae.
- The role of FtsZ in organelle division beyond chloroplasts remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and function of FtsZ homologs in algal mitochondria.
- To determine if FtsZ plays a role in mitochondrial division in eukaryotic organisms.
- To characterize a novel FtsZ homolog identified in Mallomonas splendens.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of a novel FtsZ homolog from Mallomonas splendens.
- Bioinformatic analysis to determine protein relatedness and identify targeting signals.
- Subcellular localization studies to ascertain the protein's cellular compartment.
Main Results:
- A nuclear-encoded FtsZ homolog, designated MsFtsZ-mt, was isolated from Mallomonas splendens.
- MsFtsZ-mt shows close evolutionary relationship to alpha-proteobacterial FtsZs.
- The protein contains a mitochondrial targeting signal and localizes to mitochondria, suggesting a role in mitochondrial division.
Conclusions:
- MsFtsZ-mt represents a functional FtsZ protein involved in mitochondrial division in algae.
- This finding expands the known roles of FtsZ beyond bacterial and chloroplast division.
- The study provides evidence for a conserved mechanism of organelle division involving FtsZ-like proteins.
Related Concept Videos
01:19The Structure of Intermediate Filaments
The intermediate filaments are one of three widely studied cytoskeletal filaments. They are so named as their diameter (10 nm) is in between that of microfilaments (7 nm) and the microtubules (25 nm). These filaments are highly stable and can remain intact when exposed to high salt concentrations and detergents. These filaments are responsible for providing stability and mechanical support to the cells. They also help in cell adhesion and maintaining tissue integrity.
Intermediate filaments...
Intermediate filaments...
00:57Formation of Intermediate Filaments
Intermediate filaments are cytoskeletal proteins with higher tensile strength and flexibility than microfilaments and microtubules. Unlike the other two cytoskeletal proteins, intermediate filament formation lacks the enzymatic activity to hydrolyze nucleotides like ATP and GTP to generate energy for polymerization. Therefore, the formation of intermediate filaments is multistep self-assembly. The involvement of any accessory proteins in intermediate filament formation has not yet been reported.
01:19Septins
Septins are protein filaments forming the cytoskeleton along with the microtubules, microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and other accessory proteins. In 1971 while studying the cell division cycle in mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Harwell et al. first identified the septin-related genes playing a crucial role in yeast cytokinesis. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that these proteins localize at the budding neck as rings. These ring-like proteins were then named Septins by John Pringle, and...
02:07FISH - Fluorescent In-situ Hybridization
Fluorescence in situ hybridization, or FISH, was developed in the early 1980s and has quickly become one of the most widely used techniques in cytogenetics. Labeled probes are used to bind complementary DNA or RNA sequences on a chromosome or in a region within a cell. Earlier, the probes could only be obtained by cloning or reverse transcription of a DNA template. Currently, the probe oligonucleotides can be synthesized synthetically. Additionally, with the advancement of optical techniques,...
01:35Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments
Intermediate filaments (IFs) do not undergo spontaneous disassembly. Enzymes, kinases, and phosphatases add and remove phosphates from specific sites to regulate their disassembly. The IF concentration in the cytoplasm also regulates the disassembly. If the concentration crosses a threshold, it activates the protein kinases in the vicinity, allowing the phosphorylation of IFs.
Keratin proteins, found at the cell periphery near cell junctions, undergo a cycle of assembly and disassembly. In Type...
Keratin proteins, found at the cell periphery near cell junctions, undergo a cycle of assembly and disassembly. In Type...
01:28Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments
Fimbriae and pili are specialized bacterial surface structures that play pivotal roles in adhesion, genetic exchange, and motility. Composed primarily of pilin protein, these hairlike appendages are crucial for bacterial survival and pathogenicity in various environments.Fimbriae: Adhesion and PathogenicityFimbriae are fine, filamentous structures measuring 2–10 nanometers in diameter and are densely distributed on the bacterial cell surface. They facilitate bacterial adhesion to abiotic...