Characterization of a cell division gene from Bacillus subtilis that is required for vegetative and sporulation septum formation.

ABSTRACT 3-Methoxybenzamide (3-MBA), which is known to be an inhibitor of ADP-ribosyltransferase, inhibits cell division in Bacillus subtilis, leading to filamentation and eventually lysis of cells. Our genetic analysis of 3-MBA-resistant mutants indicated that the primary target of the drug is the cell division system involving FtsZ function during both vegetative growth and sporulation.

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Nucleotide Sequence and Characterization of cdrA, a Cell Division-Related Gene of Helicobacter pylori

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.181.16.5134a-5134a.1999 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 181 (16) ◽

pp. 5134-5134

Author(s):

Hiroaki Takeuchi ◽

Mutsunori Shirai ◽

Junko K. Akada ◽

Masataka Tsuda ◽

Teruko Nakazawa

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Cell Division ◽

Nucleotide Sequence ◽

Related Gene ◽

A Cell

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Cytological Characterization of YpsB, a Novel Component of the Bacillus subtilis Divisome

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.00064-08 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 190 (21) ◽

pp. 7096-7107 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

José Roberto Tavares ◽

Robson F. de Souza ◽

Guilherme Louzada Silva Meira ◽

Frederico J. Gueiros-Filho

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Cell Division ◽

Fluorescent Protein ◽

Last Common Ancestor ◽

Sequence Comparisons ◽

Gram Positive Bacteria ◽

Division Site ◽

Z Ring ◽

Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT Cell division in bacteria is carried out by an elaborate molecular machine composed of more than a dozen proteins and known as the divisome. Here we describe the characterization of a new divisome protein in Bacillus subtilis called YpsB. Sequence comparisons and phylogentic analysis demonstrated that YpsB is a paralog of the division site selection protein DivIVA. YpsB is present in several gram-positive bacteria and likely originated from the duplication of a DivIVA-like gene in the last common ancestor of bacteria of the orders Bacillales and Lactobacillales. We used green fluorescent protein microscopy to determine that YpsB localizes to the divisome. Similarly to that for DivIVA, the recruitment of YpsB to the divisome requires late division proteins and occurs significantly after Z-ring formation. In contrast to DivIVA, however, YpsB is not retained at the newly formed cell poles after septation. Deletion analysis suggests that the N terminus of YpsB is required to target the protein to the divisome. The high similarity between the N termini of YpsB and DivIVA suggests that the same region is involved in the targeting of DivIVA. YpsB is not essential for septum formation and does not appear to play a role in septum positioning. However, a ypsB deletion has a synthetic effect when combined with a mutation in the cell division gene ftsA. Thus, we conclude that YpsB is a novel B. subtilis cell division protein whose function has diverged from that of its paralog DivIVA.

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Isolation and Characterization of New Fission Yeast Cytokinesis Mutants

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/149.3.1265 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 149 (3) ◽

pp. 1265-1275 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mohan K Balasubramanian ◽

Dannel McCollum ◽

Louise Chang ◽

Kelvin C Y Wong ◽

Naweed I Naqvi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Cell Division ◽

Genetic Screen ◽

Contractile Ring ◽

Medial Region ◽

Septum Formation ◽

Isolation And Characterization ◽

Gtp Binding ◽

Division Process

Abstract Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an excellent organism in which to study cytokinesis as it divides by medial fission using an F-actin contractile ring. To enhance our understanding of the cell division process, a large genetic screen was carried out in which 17 genetic loci essential for cytokinesis were identified, 5 of which are novel. Mutants identifying three genes, rng3+, rng4+, and rng5+, were defective in organizing an actin contractile ring. Four mutants defective in septum deposition, septum initiation defective (sid)1, sid2, sid3, and sid4, were also identified and characterized. Genetic analyses revealed that the sid mutants display strong negative interactions with the previously described septation mutants cdc7-24, cdc11-123, and cdc14-118. The rng5+, sid2+, and sid3+ genes were cloned and shown to encode Myo2p (a myosin heavy chain), a protein kinase related to budding yeast Dbf2p, and Spg1p, a GTP binding protein that is a member of the ras superfamily of GTPases, respectively. The ability of Spg1p to promote septum formation from any point in the cell cycle depends on the activity of Sid4p. In addition, we have characterized a phenotype that has not been described previously in cytokinesis mutants, namely the failure to reorganize actin patches to the medial region of the cell in preparation for septum formation.

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