Molecular motor tug-of-war regulates elongasome cell wall synthesis dynamics in Bacillus subtilis.

ABSTRACT: Most rod-shaped bacteria elongate by inserting new cell wall material into the inner surface of the cell sidewall. This is performed by class A penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) and a highly conserved protein complex, the elongasome, which moves processively around the cell circumference and inserts long glycan strands that act as barrel-hoop-like reinforcing structures, thereby giving rise to a rod-shaped cell. However, it remains unclear how elongasome synthesis dynamics and termination events are regulated to determine the length of these critical cell-reinforcing structures. To address this, we developed a method to track individual elongasome complexes around the entire circumference of Bacillus subtilis cells for minutes-long periods using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. We

SUBMITTER: Middlemiss S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11208587 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature