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MreB Orientation Correlates with Cell Diameter in Escherichia coli
Nikolay Ouzounov1, Jeffrey P Nguyen2, Benjamin P Bratton3
1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
Biophysical Journal
|September 8, 2016
Summary
Bacterial MreB protein
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Bacteria maintain precise cell shapes, with MreB (bacterial actin homolog) crucial for rod shape.
- Specific MreB properties governing cell diameter control were previously unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between MreB filament structure and bacterial cell diameter.
- To identify key MreB properties essential for bacterial shape regulation.
Main Methods:
- Perturbation of MreB function using the drug A22 and mreB point mutants.
- Simultaneous 3D imaging of fluorescently tagged MreB polymers and bacterial cell shape.
- Correlation analysis between MreB structural characteristics and cell diameter in Escherichia coli.
Main Results:
- Cell diameter was significantly altered, ranging from 790 nm to 1700 nm.
- A strong inverse correlation was found between MreB helical pitch angle and cell diameter.
- No other significant correlations between MreB structural features and cell diameter were identified.
Conclusions:
- The physical properties of MreB filaments are critical for bacterial shape control.
- MreB likely organizes cell wall synthesis to establish a chiral structure, dictating cell diameter.
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