Modulation of bacterial cell size and growth rate via activation of a cell envelope stress response.

ABSTRACT: Cells mount elaborate responses to environmental stresses across multiple scales. In enterobacteria, the Rcs phosphorelay is activated by cell-envelope damage and by alterations to periplasmic thickness and cell width. To explore Rcs activation in the absence of external stresses, we investigated the physiological and morphological consequences of Rcs activation in Escherichia coli. We used an inducible variant of the lipoprotein RcsF that mislocalizes to the inner membrane (RcsF^IM) and constitutively activates the Rcs system. RcsF^IM expression slowed growth and reduced the cell length added per cell cycle, independent of Rcs-regulated capsule production. Concurrently, the concentration of the division protein FtsZ increased, and division rings formed cl

SUBMITTER: Miguel A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12607864 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature