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In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Single-cell Analysis of Bacillus subtilis Biofilms Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Flow Cytometry

Single-cell Analysis of Bacillus subtilis Biofilms Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Flow Cytometry

Published on: February 15, 2012

A sweet twist gets Bacillus into shape.

Johann Mignolet¹, Patrick H Viollier

¹Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.

Molecular Microbiology

|March 5, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered a new enzyme, YvcK, that helps control bacterial cell shape by organizing structures that guide cell wall growth. This process is linked to bacterial metabolism and is essential for survival.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Cell Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

The bacterial cell wall is crucial for viability and shape, constantly remodeling during cell growth.
Cell shape serves as a proxy to understand cell wall homeostasis mechanisms.
Bacillus subtilis provides a model system for studying bacterial cell morphology and growth.

Discussion:

Foulquier et al. reveal that the NAD(P)-binding enzyme YvcK forms helical structures in Bacillus subtilis.
These YvcK structures direct the cell wall biosynthetic enzyme PBP1 along the cell cylinder and to the septum.
This shape control mechanism is shared with the MreB actin cytoskeleton but is dependent on specific carbon sources.

Key Insights:

YvcK plays a significant role in bacterial cell shape regulation.
The function of YvcK in cell shape control is linked to specific metabolic conditions.
A novel metabolic feed influencing cell morphogenesis via YvcK has been identified.

Outlook:

Further research into the metabolic feed influencing YvcK function could uncover new targets for antimicrobial strategies.
Understanding the interplay between metabolism and cell morphogenesis broadens our knowledge of bacterial physiology.
Investigating YvcK's unique carbon source-dependent role may reveal specialized adaptations in bacterial growth.