Identification, cloning, and expression of bolA, an ftsZ-dependent morphogene of Escherichia coli

A newly found morphogene of Escherichia coli, bolA, mapping at min 10 of the genetic map, was cloned in a 7.2-kilobase BamHI fragment and identified by its ability to produce osmotically stable spherical cells when overexpressed. This gene codes for a polypeptide of 13 kilodaltons. Overexpression of bolA+ was achieved in low-copy-number vectors with operon fusions to the tet and lac promoters, indicating a clockwise direction of transcription. While no modification of any of the penicillin-binding proteins was observed, morphological effects due to overexpression of bolA+ were shown to be dependent on the presence of an active ftsZ gene product. Our results suggest the existence of a mechanism mediated by FtsZ for modifying the conformation of nascent murein in the early steps of septum formation.