A Kinase-Phosphatase Switch Transduces Environmental Information into a Bacterial Cell Cycle Circuit.

ABSTRACT: The bacterial cell cycle has been extensively studied under standard growth conditions. How it is modulated in response to environmental changes remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus blocks cell division and grows to filamentous cells in response to stress conditions affecting the cell membrane. Our data suggest that stress switches the membrane-bound cell cycle kinase CckA to its phosphatase mode, leading to the rapid dephosphorylation, inactivation and proteolysis of the master cell cycle regulator CtrA. The clearance of CtrA results in downregulation of division and morphogenesis genes and consequently a cell division block. Upon shift to non-stress conditions, cells quickly restart cell division and return to normal cell si

SUBMITTER: Heinrich K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5189948 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature