Assembly of bacterial cell division protein FtsZ into dynamic biomolecular condensates.

ABSTRACT: Biomolecular condensation through phase separation may be a novel mechanism to regulate bacterial processes, including cell division. Previous work revealed that FtsZ, a protein essential for cytokinesis in most bacteria, forms biomolecular condensates with SlmA, a protein that protects the chromosome from damage inflicted by the division machinery in Escherichia coli. The absence of condensates composed solely of FtsZ under the conditions used in that study suggested this mechanism was restricted to nucleoid occlusion by SlmA or to bacteria containing this protein. Here we report that FtsZ alone, under physiologically relevant conditions, can demix into condensates in bulk and when encapsulated in synthetic cell-like systems generated by microfluidics. Condensate assembly depends on FtsZ

SUBMITTER: Robles-Ramos MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8529516 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature