How Do Bacteria Decide Where to Divide?

Following the establishment of the division site, the cell must specify the plane of division. In globular or cuboid bacteria, several possible orientations of the division septum are compatible with the production of two daughter cells of the same size and shape. In these cases, the pattern of division plane selection determines the architecture of the arrays of progeny cells that often remain associated with each other after division is completed. In chain-forming organisms, the plane of division is approximately the same in each division cycle (-x-x-x-). However, in many bacterial species, the orientation of the division septum alternates between planes that lie at right angles to each other. Interestingly, this includes E. coli rodA mutant cells that grow as spheres (Donachie et al. 1995xDonachie, W.D, Addinall, S, and Begg, K. Bioessay. 1995; 17: 569–576Crossref | PubMedSee all ReferencesDonachie et al. 1995). In these cases, one might expect that the x, y, and z planes would be selected at random since they are topologically equivalent. Instead, there is a rigid selection of certain orientations. In some species, such as Lampropedia (Murray 1984xSee all ReferencesMurray 1984), only two of the three possible planes are used, in an alternating sequence (-x-y-x-y-). This leads to formation of large square planar arrays of cells. In contrast, in organisms such as Sarcinae (Canale-Parola 1970xCanale-Parola, E. Bacteriol. Rev. 1970; 34: 82–97PubMedSee all ReferencesCanale-Parola 1970), cells are organized into three-dimensional cubical 8-celled packets that can only result from the ordered and sequential use of all three of the division planes (-x-y-z-). In each of these examples, the choice of the division plane in each generation determines the two-dimensional or three-dimensional organization of the multicellular arrays of progeny cells that are formed. Essentially nothing has been done to study the mechanisms responsible for these fascinating simple systems of multicellular differentiation.

[1]  W. Donachie,et al.  Quantal Behavior of a Diffusible Factor Which Initiates Septum Formation at Potential Division Sites in Escherichia coli , 1974, Journal of bacteriology.

[2]  N. Miyajima,et al.  Sequence analysis of the genome of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. I. Sequence features in the 1 Mb region from map positions 64% to 92% of the genome. , 1995, DNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes.

[3]  S. Tabata,et al.  Assignment of 82 known genes and gene clusters on the genome of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. , 1995, DNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes.

[4]  C. Woldringh,et al.  Toporegulation of bacterial division according to the nucleoid occlusion model. , 1991, Research in microbiology.

[5]  L. Rothfield,et al.  Development of the cell‐division site in FtsA‐filaments , 1994, Molecular microbiology.

[6]  E. Bi,et al.  Interaction between the min locus and ftsZ , 1990, Journal of bacteriology.

[7]  C. Price,et al.  The minCD locus of Bacillus subtilis lacks the minE determinant that provides topological specificity to cell division , 1993, Molecular microbiology.

[8]  P. D. de Boer,et al.  Central role for the Escherichia coli minC gene product in two different cell division-inhibition systems. , 1990, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[9]  W. Donachie,et al.  Cell shape and chromosome partition in prokaryotes or, why E. coli is rod-shaped and haploid. , 1995, BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology.

[10]  E. Bi,et al.  Cell division inhibitors SulA and MinCD prevent formation of the FtsZ ring , 1993, Journal of bacteriology.

[11]  P. D. de Boer,et al.  Proper placement of the Escherichia coli division site requires two functions that are associated with different domains of the MinE protein. , 1995, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[12]  R. Losick,et al.  Localization of Protein Implicated in Establishment of Cell Type to Sites of Asymmetric Division , 1995, Science.

[13]  W. D. Fisher,et al.  MINIATURE escherichia coli CELLS DEFICIENT IN DNA. , 1967, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[14]  C. Touriol,et al.  Deletion analysis of gene minE which encodes the topological specificity factor of cell division in Escherichia coli , 1995, Molecular microbiology.

[15]  R. Losick,et al.  Identification of Bacillus subtilis genes for septum placement and shape determination , 1992, Journal of bacteriology.

[16]  L. Rothfield,et al.  A division inhibitor and a topological specificity factor coded for by the minicell locus determine proper placement of the division septum in E. coli , 1989, Cell.

[17]  J. Reeve,et al.  Minicells of Bacillus subtilis , 1973, Journal of bacteriology.

[18]  G. Stewart,et al.  The divIVB region of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome encodes homologs of Escherichia coli septum placement (minCD) and cell shape (mreBCD) determinants , 1992, Journal of bacteriology.