Molecular Basis and Ecological Relevance of Caulobacter Cell Filamentation in Freshwater Habitats.

ABSTRACT: All living cells are characterized by certain cell shapes and sizes. Many bacteria can change these properties depending on the growth conditions. The underlying mechanisms and the ecological relevance of changing cell shape and size remain unclear in most cases. One bacterium that undergoes extensive shape-shifting in response to changing growth conditions is the freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus When incubated for an extended time in stationary phase, a subpopulation of C. crescentus forms viable filamentous cells with a helical shape. Here, we demonstrated that this stationary-phase-induced filamentation results from downregulation of most critical cell cycle regulators and a consequent block of DNA replication and cell division while cell growth and metabolism c

SUBMITTER: Heinrich K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6703425 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature