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The MinDE system is a generic spatial cue for membrane protein distribution in vitro
Beatrice Ramm1, Philipp Glock1, Jonas Mücksch1
1Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
Nature Communications
|September 28, 2018
Summary
The E. coli MinCDE system
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The E. coli MinCDE system is a key reaction-diffusion system.
- MinDE oscillations position the cell division protein FtsZ at midcell.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate roles of MinDE oscillations beyond FtsZ localization.
- To explore MinDE's self-organization capabilities.
Main Methods:
- In vitro reconstitution assay.
- Observation of MinDE self-organization and its effect on other membrane proteins.
Main Results:
- MinDE self-organization spatially regulates unrelated membrane proteins into patterns and gradients.
- Concentration waves induce net transport of membrane-attached molecules.
- MinDE controls a broader set of proteins than previously known.
Conclusions:
- MinDE oscillations have functions beyond FtsZ localization, potentially impacting division site selection and chromosome segregation.
- The MinDE system demonstrates a MinC-independent pathway for cellular regulation.
- Active transport via a traveling diffusion barrier may be a general cellular mechanism.
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