Effects of polymerization and nucleotide identity on the conformational dynamics of the bacterial actin homolog MreB.

ABSTRACT: The assembly of protein filaments drives many cellular processes, from nucleoid segregation, growth, and division in single cells to muscle contraction in animals. In eukaryotes, shape and motility are regulated through cycles of polymerization and depolymerization of actin cytoskeletal networks. In bacteria, the actin homolog MreB forms filaments that coordinate the cell-wall synthesis machinery to regulate rod-shaped growth and contribute to cellular stiffness through unknown mechanisms. Like actin, MreB is an ATPase and requires ATP to polymerize, and polymerization promotes nucleotide hydrolysis. However, it is unclear whether other similarities exist between MreB and actin because the two proteins share low sequence identity and have distinct cellular roles. Here, we use all-atom mole

SUBMITTER: Colavin A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3948266 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature