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Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Inducing a Site Specific Replication Blockage in E. coli Using a Fluorescent Repressor Operator System
Published on: August 21, 2016
Transient enhanced cell division by blocking DNA synthesis in Escherichia coli
Carmen Mata Martín1,2, Arieh Zaritsky3, Itzhak Fishov4
1Departamento de Bioquímica Biología Molecular y Genética, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz 06071, Spain.
Abstract:
Duplication of the bacterial nucleoid is necessary for cell division hence specific arrest of DNA replication inhibits divisions culminating in filamentation, nucleoid dispersion and appearance of a-nucleated cells. It is demonstrated here that during the first 10 min however, Escherichia coli enhanced residual divisions: the proportion of constricted cells doubled (to 40%), nucleoids contracted and cells remodelled dimensions: length decreased and width increased. The preliminary data provides further support to the existence of temporal and spatial couplings between the nucleoid/replisome and the sacculus/divisome, and is consistent with the idea that bacillary bacteria modulate width during the division process exclusively.
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