Differentiated roles for MreB-actin isologues and autolytic enzymes in Bacillus subtilis morphogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Cell morphogenesis in most bacteria is governed by spatiotemporal growth regulation of the peptidoglycan cell wall layer. Much is known about peptidoglycan synthesis but regulation of its turnover by hydrolytic enzymes is much less well understood. Bacillus subtilis has a multitude of such enzymes. Two of the best characterized are CwlO and LytE: cells lacking both enzymes have a lethal block in cell elongation. Here we show that activity of CwlO is regulated by an ABC transporter, FtsEX, which is required for cell elongation, unlike cell division as in Escherichia coli. Actin-like MreB proteins are thought to play a key role in orchestrating cell wall morphogenesis. B. subtilis has three MreB isologues with partially differentiated functions. We now show that the three MreB isologues have

SUBMITTER: Dominguez-Cuevas P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3817527 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature