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A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
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Simulations suggest a constrictive force is required for Gram-negative bacterial cell division
Lam T Nguyen1, Catherine M Oikonomou1, H Jane Ding1
1Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
Nature Communications
|March 21, 2019
Summary
Bacterial cell division requires more than just cell wall remodeling. A constrictive force, like that from FtsZ, is needed to drive membrane invagination for proper cell wall synthesis and division.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Gram-negative bacteria remodel their cell walls for division.
- The role of cell wall remodeling versus FtsZ-mediated constriction in bacterial division is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simulate bacterial cell division using computational modeling.
- To investigate the mechanical requirements for cell wall remodeling during division.
Main Methods:
- Expansion of the REMODELER software (REMODELER 2) to simulate cell wall division.
- Modeling of cell wall synthesis complex organization and constrictive forces.
Main Results:
- Cell wall synthesis complex organization alone, even with a make-before-break mechanism, does not induce invagination.
- A constrictive force is necessary to compress the midcell for division.
- A make-before-break mechanism reduces the required constrictive force for division.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial cell division necessitates a constrictive force to drive membrane invagination.
- Cell wall remodeling alone is insufficient for bacterial cell division.
- FtsZ-mediated constriction likely plays a critical role in bacterial cytokinesis.
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