A dynamic bactofilin cytoskeleton cooperates with an M23 endopeptidase to control bacterial morphogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Bactofilins have emerged as a widespread family of cytoskeletal proteins with important roles in bacterial morphogenesis, but their precise mode of action is still incompletely understood. In this study, we identify the bactofilin cytoskeleton as a key regulator of cell growth in the stalked budding alphaproteobacterium Hyphomonas neptunium. We show that, in this species, bactofilin polymers localize dynamically to the stalk base and the bud neck, with their absence leading to unconstrained growth of the stalk and bud compartments, indicating a central role in the spatial regulation of cell wall biosynthesis. Database searches reveal that bactofilin genes are often clustered with genes for cell wall hydrolases of the M23 peptidase family, suggesting a functional connection between t

SUBMITTER: Pohl S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10945521 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature