A moving ParA gradient on the nucleoid directs subcellular cargo transport via a chemophoresis force.

ABSTRACT: DNA segregation is a critical process for all life, and although there is a relatively good understanding of eukaryotic mitosis, the mechanism in bacteria remains unclear. The small size of a bacterial cell and the number of factors involved in its subcellular organization make it difficult to study individual systems under controlled conditions in vivo. We developed a cell-free technique to reconstitute and visualize bacterial ParA-mediated segregation systems. Our studies provide direct evidence for a mode of transport that does not use a classical cytoskeletal filament or motor protein. Instead, we demonstrate that ParA-type DNA segregation systems can establish a propagating ParA ATPase gradient on the nucleoid surface, which generates the force required for the directed movement of sp

SUBMITTER: Vecchiarelli AG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4914017 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature