Temporal and spatial regulation in prokaryotic cell cycle progression and development

Cell polarity signalling at the birth of multicellularity: What can we learn from the first animals

The innovation of multicellularity has driven the unparalleled evolution of animals (Metazoa). But how is a multicellular organism formed and how is its architecture maintained faithfully? The defining properties and rules required for the establishment of the architecture of multicellular organisms include the development of adhesive cell interactions, orientation of division axis, and the ability to reposition daughter cells over long distances. Central to all these properties is the ability to generate asymmetry (polarity), coordinated by a highly conserved set of proteins known as cell polarity regulators. The cell polarity complexes, Scribble, Par and Crumbs, are considered to be a metazoan innovation with apicobasal polarity and adherens junctions both believed to be present in all animals. A better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms regulating cell polarity and tissue architecture should provide key insights into the development and regeneration of all animals including humans. Here we review what is currently known about cell polarity and its control in the most basal metazoans, and how these first examples of multicellular life can inform us about the core mechanisms of tissue organisation and repair, and ultimately diseases of tissue organisation, such as cancer.

The essential Rhodobacter sphaeroides CenKR two-component system regulates cell division and envelope biosynthesis

Bacterial two-component systems (TCSs) often function through the detection of an extracytoplasmic stimulus and the transduction of a signal by a transmembrane sensory histidine kinase. This kinase then initiates a series of reversible phosphorylation modifications to regulate the activity of a cognate, cytoplasmic response regulator as a transcription factor. Several TCSs have been implicated in the regulation of cell cycle dynamics, cell envelope integrity, or cell wall development in Escherichia coli and other well-studied Gram-negative model organisms. However, many α-proteobacteria lack homologs to these regulators, so an understanding of how α-proteobacteria orchestrate extracytoplasmic events is lacking. In this work we identify an essential TCS, CenKR (Cell envelope Kinase and Regulator), in the α-proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides and show that modulation of its activity results in major morphological changes. Using genetic and biochemical approaches, we dissect the requirements for the phosphotransfer event between CenK and CenR, use this information to manipulate the activity of this TCS in vivo, and identify genes that are directly and indirectly controlled by CenKR in Rb. sphaeroides. Combining ChIP-seq and RNA-seq, we show that the CenKR TCS plays a direct role in maintenance of the cell envelope, regulates the expression of subunits of the Tol-Pal outer membrane division complex, and indirectly modulates the expression of peptidoglycan biosynthetic genes. CenKR represents the first TCS reported to directly control the expression of Tol-Pal machinery genes in Gram-negative bacteria, and we predict that homologs of this TCS serve a similar function in other closely related organisms. We propose that Rb. sphaeroides genes of unknown function that are directly regulated by CenKR play unknown roles in cell envelope biosynthesis, assembly, and/or remodeling in this and other α-proteobacteria.

The bacterial cell envelope is home to an array of important functions including energy conservation, motility, influx/efflux of nutrients and toxins, modulation of cell morphology and division, cell-cell interaction, and biofilm formation. Consequently, it is a major target of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents that inhibit these essential processes. Key to the recognition of environmental stressors or stimuli are bacterial TCSs, however systems that monitor or directly regulate cell envelope assembly and homeostasis are not widely conserved amongst bacteria. Here, we use Rhodobacter sphaeroides as a model to investigate the function of the CenKR TCS in this and other α-proteobacteria. We show that this essential TCS plays a key role in maintenance of the cell envelope through the regulation of outer membrane integrity and division, cell wall remodeling and homeostasis, and an alternate sigma factor that controls global cellular stress response. We provide evidence that this TCS and its function is widely conserved in α-proteobacteria and identify genes of unknown function as candidates for the study of cell envelope assembly in this and related bacteria.

Recent progress of bacterial FtsZ inhibitors with a focus on peptides

In recent years, the rise of antibiotic resistance has become a primary health problem. With the emergence of bacterial resistance, the need to explore and develop novel antibacterial drugs has become increasingly urgent. Filamentous temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ), a crucial cell division protein of bacteria, has become a vital antibacterial target. FtsZ is a filamentous GTPase; it is highly conserved in bacteria and shares less than 20% sequence identity with the eukaryotic cytoskeleton protein tubulin, indicating that FtsZ-targeting antibacterial agents may have a low cytotoxicity toward eukaryotes. FtsZ can form a dynamic Z-ring in the center of the cell resulting in cell division. Furthermore, disturbance in the assembly of FtsZ may affect cellular dynamics and bacterial cell survival, making it a fascinating target for drug development. This review focuses on the recent discovery of FtsZ inhibitors, including peptides, natural products, and other synthetic small molecules, as well as their mechanism of action, which could facilitate the discovery of novel FtsZ-targeting clinical drugs in the future.

Structural changes of bacterial nanocellulose pellicles induced by genetic modification of Komagataeibacter hansenii ATCC 23769

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) synthesized by Komagataeibacter hansenii is a polymer that recently gained an attention of tissue engineers, since its features make it a suitable material for scaffolds production. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to modify BNC to improve its properties in order to make it more suitable for biomedical use. One approach to address this issue is to genetically engineer K. hansenii cells towards synthesis of BNC with modified features. One of possible ways to achieve that is to influence the bacterial movement or cell morphology. In this paper, we described for the first time, K. hansenii ATCC 23769 motA+ and motB+ overexpression mutants, which displayed elongated cell phenotype, increased motility, and productivity. Moreover, the mutant cells produced thicker ribbons of cellulose arranged in looser network when compared to the wild-type strain. In this paper, we present a novel development in obtaining BNC membranes with improved properties using genetic engineering tools.

Mutation of G51 in SepF impairs FtsZ assembly promoting ability of SepF and retards the division of Mycobacterium smegmatis cells

The role of FtsZ-associated proteins in the regulation of the assembly dynamics of Mycobacterium smegmatis FtsZ is not clear. In this work, we examined the effect of M. smegmatis SepF on the assembly and stability of M. smegmatis FtsZ polymers. We discovered a single dominant point mutation in SepF (G51D or G51R) that renders the protein inactive. SepF promoted the polymerization of FtsZ, induced the bundling of FtsZ filaments, stabilized FtsZ filaments and reduced the GTPase activity of FtsZ. Surprisingly, both G51D-SepF and G51R-SepF neither stabilized FtsZ filaments nor showed a discernable effect on the GTPase activity of FtsZ. The binding affinity of SepF to FtsZ was found to be stronger than the binding affinity of G51R/D-SepF to FtsZ. Interestingly, the binding affinity of SepF to G51R-SepF was determined to be 45 times stronger than FtsZ. In addition, the interaction of SepF with G51R-SepF was found to be 2.6 times stronger than SepF-SepF interaction. Furthermore, G51R-SepF impaired the ability of SepF to promote the assembly of FtsZ. In addition, the overexpression of G51R-SepF in M. smegmatis mc² 155 cells retarded the proliferation of these cells and increased the average length of the cells. The results indicated that SepF positively regulates the assembly of M. smegmatis FtsZ and the G51 residue has an important role in the functioning of SepF.

Identification of Mycobacterial Genes Involved in Antibiotic Sensitivity: Implications for the Treatment of Tuberculosis with β-Lactam-Containing Regimens

In a Mycobacterium smegmatis mutant library screen, transposon mutants with insertions in fhaA, dprE2, rpsT, and parA displayed hypersusceptibility to antibiotics, including the β-lactams meropenem, ampicillin, amoxicillin, and cefotaxime. Sub-MIC levels of octoclothepin, a psychotic drug inhibiting ParA, phenocopied the parA insertion and enhanced the bactericidal activity of meropenem against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in combination with clavulanate. Our study identifies novel factors associated with antibiotic resistance, with implications in repurposing β-lactams for tuberculosis treatment.

Caulobacter crescentus CdnL is a non-essential RNA polymerase-binding protein whose depletion impairs normal growth and rRNA transcription

CdnL is an essential RNA polymerase (RNAP)-binding activator of rRNA transcription in mycobacteria and myxobacteria but reportedly not in Bacillus. Whether its function and mode of action are conserved in other bacteria thus remains unclear. Because virtually all alphaproteobacteria have a CdnL homolog and none of these have been characterized, we studied the homolog (CdnL_Cc) of the model alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. We show that CdnL_Cc is not essential for viability but that its absence or depletion causes slow growth and cell filamentation. CdnL_Cc is degraded in vivo in a manner dependent on its C-terminus, yet excess CdnL_Cc resulting from its stabilization did not adversely affect growth. We find that CdnL_Cc interacts with itself and with the RNAP β subunit, and localizes to at least one rRNA promoter in vivo, whose activity diminishes upon depletion of CdnL_Cc. Interestingly, cells expressing CdnL_Cc mutants unable to interact with the RNAP were cold-sensitive, suggesting that CdnL_Cc interaction with RNAP is especially required at lower than standard growth temperatures in C. crescentus. Our study indicates that despite limited sequence similarities and regulatory differences compared to its myco/myxobacterial homologs, CdnL_Cc may share similar biological functions, since it affects rRNA synthesis, probably by stabilizing open promoter-RNAP complexes.

Effects of radiation damage in studies of protein-DNA complexes by cryo-EM

Nucleic acids are responsible for the storage, transfer and realization of genetic information in the cell, which provides correct development and functioning of organisms. DNA interaction with ligands ensures the safety of this information. Over the past 10 years, advances in electron microscopy and image processing allowed to obtain the structures of key DNA-protein complexes with resolution below 4Å. However, radiation damage is a limiting factor to the potentially attainable resolution in cryo-EM. The prospect and limitations of studying protein-DNA complex interactions using cryo-electron microscopy are discussed here. We reviewed the ways to minimize radiation damage in biological specimens and the possibilities of using radiation damage (so-called 'bubblegrams') to obtain additional structural information.

Modeling Asymmetric Cell Division in Caulobacter crescentus Using a Boolean Logic Approach

Caulobacter crescentus is a model organism for the study of asymmetric division and cell type differentiation, as its cell division cycle generates a pair of daughter cells that differ from one another in their morphology and behavior. One of these cells (called stalked) develops a structure that allows it to attach to solid surfaces and is the only one capable of dividing, while the other (called swarmer) develops a flagellum that allows it to move in liquid media and divides only after differentiating into a stalked cell type. Although many genes, proteins, and other molecules involved in the asymmetric division exhibited by C. crescentus have been discovered and characterized for several decades, it remains as a challenging task to understand how cell properties arise from the high number of interactions between these molecular components. This chapter describes a modeling approach based on the Boolean logic framework that provides a means for the integration of knowledge and study of the emergence of asymmetric division. The text illustrates how the simulation of simple logic models gives valuable insight into the dynamic behavior of the regulatory and signaling networks driving the emergence of the phenotypes exhibited by C. crescentus. These models provide useful tools for the characterization and analysis of other complex biological networks.

Beyond force generation: Why is a dynamic ring of FtsZ polymers essential for bacterial cytokinesis?

We propose that the essential function of the most highly conserved protein in bacterial cytokinesis, FtsZ, is not to generate a mechanical force to drive cell division. Rather, we suggest that FtsZ acts as a signal-processing hub to coordinate cell wall synthesis at the division septum with a diverse array of cellular processes, ensuring that the cell divides smoothly at the correct time and place, and with the correct septum morphology. Here, we explore how the polymerization properties of FtsZ, which have been widely attributed to force generation, can also be advantageous in this signal processing role. We suggest mechanisms by which FtsZ senses and integrates both mechanical and biochemical signals, and conclude by proposing experiments to investigate how FtsZ contributes to the remarkable spatial and temporal precision of bacterial cytokinesis.

Identification of agents targeting FtsZ assembly

Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ), an essential cell division protein in bacteria, has recently emerged as an important and exploitable antibacterial target. Cytokinesis in bacteria is regulated by the assembly dynamics of this protein, which is ubiquitously present in eubacteria. The perturbation of FtsZ assembly has been found to have a deleterious effect on the cytokinetic machinery and, in turn, upon cell survival. FtsZ is highly conserved among prokaryotes, offering the possibility of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, while its limited sequence homology with tubulin (an essential protein in eukaryotic mitosis) offers the possibility of selective toxicity. This review aims to summarize current knowledge regarding the mechanism of action of FtsZ, and to highlight existing attempts toward the development of clinically useful inhibitors.

The role of FlhF and HubP as polar landmark proteins in Shewanella putrefaciens CN-32

Spatiotemporal regulation of cell polarity plays a role in many fundamental processes in bacteria and often relies on 'landmark' proteins which recruit the corresponding clients to their designated position. Here, we explored the localization of two multi-protein complexes, the polar flagellar motor and the chemotaxis array, in Shewanella putrefaciens CN-32. We demonstrate that polar positioning of the flagellar system, but not of the chemotaxis system, depends on the GTPase FlhF. In contrast, the chemotaxis array is recruited by a transmembrane protein which we identified as the functional ortholog of Vibrio cholerae HubP. Mediated by its periplasmic N-terminal LysM domain, SpHubP exhibits an FlhF-independent localization pattern during cell cycle similar to its Vibrio counterpart and also has a role in proper chromosome segregation. In addition, while not affecting flagellar positioning, SpHubP is crucial for normal flagellar function and is involved in type IV pili-mediated twitching motility. We hypothesize that a group of HubP/FimV homologs, characterized by a rather conserved N-terminal periplasmic section required for polar targeting and a highly variable acidic cytoplasmic part, primarily mediating recruitment of client proteins, serves as polar markers in various bacterial species with respect to different cellular functions.

Dynamical modeling of the cell cycle and cell fate emergence in Caulobacter crescentus

The division of Caulobacter crescentus, a model organism for studying cell cycle and differentiation in bacteria, generates two cell types: swarmer and stalked. To complete its cycle, C. crescentus must first differentiate from the swarmer to the stalked phenotype. An important regulator involved in this process is CtrA, which operates in a gene regulatory network and coordinates many of the interactions associated to the generation of cellular asymmetry. Gaining insight into how such a differentiation phenomenon arises and how network components interact to bring about cellular behavior and function demands mathematical models and simulations. In this work, we present a dynamical model based on a generalization of the Boolean abstraction of gene expression for a minimal network controlling the cell cycle and asymmetric cell division in C. crescentus. This network was constructed from data obtained from an exhaustive search in the literature. The results of the simulations based on our model show a cyclic attractor whose configurations can be made to correspond with the current knowledge of the activity of the regulators participating in the gene network during the cell cycle. Additionally, we found two point attractors that can be interpreted in terms of the network configurations directing the two cell types. The entire network is shown to be operating close to the critical regime, which means that it is robust enough to perturbations on dynamics of the network, but adaptable to environmental changes.

Conditional, temperature-induced proteolytic regulation of cyanobacterial RNA helicase expression

Conditional proteolysis is a crucial process regulating the abundance of key regulatory proteins associated with the cell cycle, differentiation pathways, or cellular response to abiotic stress in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. We provide evidence that conditional proteolysis is involved in the rapid and dramatic reduction in abundance of the cyanobacterial RNA helicase, CrhR, in response to a temperature upshift from 20 to 30°C. The proteolytic activity is not a general protein degradation response, since proteolysis is only present and/or functional in cells grown at 30°C and is only transiently active at 30°C. Degradation is also autoregulatory, since the CrhR proteolytic target is required for activation of the degradation machinery. This suggests that an autoregulatory feedback loop exists in which the target of the proteolytic machinery, CrhR, is required for activation of the system. Inhibition of translation revealed that only elongation is required for induction of the temperature-regulated proteolysis, suggesting that translation of an activating factor was already initiated at 20°C. The results indicate that Synechocystis responds to a temperature shift via two independent pathways: a CrhR-independent sensing and signal transduction pathway that regulates induction of crhR expression at low temperature and a CrhR-dependent conditional proteolytic pathway at elevated temperature. The data link the potential for CrhR RNA helicase alteration of RNA secondary structure with the autoregulatory induction of conditional proteolysis in the response of Synechocystis to temperature upshift.

Control of host cell phosphorylation by legionella pneumophila

Phosphorylation is one of the most frequent modifications in intracellular signaling and is implicated in many processes ranging from transcriptional control to signal transduction in innate immunity. Many pathogens modulate host cell phosphorylation pathways to promote growth and establish an infectious disease. The intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila targets and exploits the host phosphorylation system throughout the infection cycle as part of its strategy to establish an environment beneficial for replication. Key to this manipulation is the L. pneumophila Icm/Dot type IV secretion system, which translocates bacterial proteins into the host cytosol that can act directly on phosphorylation cascades. This review will focus on the different stages of L. pneumophila infection, in which host kinases and phosphatases contribute to infection of the host cell and promote intracellular survival of the pathogen. This includes the involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases during phagocytosis as well as the role of phosphoinositide metabolism during the establishment of the replication vacuole. Furthermore, L. pneumophila infection modulates the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, two signaling pathways that are central to the host innate immune response and involved in regulation of host cell survival. Therefore, L. pneumophila infection manipulates host cell signal transduction by phosphorylation at multiple levels.

Targeting the chromosome partitioning protein ParA in tuberculosis drug discovery

OBJECTIVE

To identify inhibitors of the essential chromosome partitioning protein ParA that are active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

METHODS

Antisense expression of the parA orthologue MSMEG_6939 was induced on the Mycobacterium smegmatis background. Screening of synthetic chemical libraries was performed to identify compounds with higher anti-mycobacterial activity in the presence of parA antisense. Differentially active compounds were validated for specific inhibition of purified ParA protein from M. tuberculosis (Rv3918c). ParA inhibitors were then characterized for their activity towards M. tuberculosis in vitro.

RESULTS

Under a number of culture conditions, parA antisense expression in M. smegmatis resulted in reduced growth. This effect on growth provided a basis for the detection of compounds that increased susceptibility to expression of parA antisense. Two compounds identified from library screening, phenoxybenzamine and octoclothepin, also inhibited the in vitro ATPase activity of ParA from M. tuberculosis. Structural in silico analyses predict that phenoxybenzamine and octoclothepin undergo interactions compatible with the active site of ParA. Octoclothepin exhibited significant bacteriostatic activity towards M. tuberculosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data support the use of whole-cell differential antisense screens for the discovery of inhibitors of specific anti-tubercular drug targets. Using this approach, we have identified an inhibitor of purified ParA and whole cells of M. tuberculosis.

A cell-type-specific protein-protein interaction modulates transcriptional activity of a master regulator in Caulobacter crescentus

Progression through the Caulobacter cell cycle is driven by the master regulator CtrA, an essential two-component signaling protein that regulates the expression of nearly 100 genes. CtrA is abundant throughout the cell cycle except immediately prior to DNA replication. However, the expression of CtrA-activated genes is generally restricted to S phase. We identify the conserved protein SciP (small CtrA inhibitory protein) and show that it accumulates during G1, where it inhibits CtrA from activating target genes. The depletion of SciP from G1 cells leads to the inappropriate induction of CtrA-activated genes and, consequently, a disruption of the cell cycle. Conversely, the ectopic synthesis of SciP is sufficient to inhibit CtrA-dependent transcription, also disrupting the cell cycle. SciP binds directly to CtrA without affecting stability or phosphorylation; instead, SciP likely prevents CtrA from recruiting RNA polymerase. CtrA is thus tightly regulated by a protein-protein interaction which is critical to cell-cycle progression.

Subcellular localization and characterization of the ParAB system from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Faithful segregation of chromosomes and plasmids is a vital prerequisite to produce viable and genetically identical progeny. Bacteria use a specialized segregation system composed of the partitioning proteins ParA and ParB to segregate certain plasmids. Strikingly, homologues of ParA and ParB are found to be encoded in many chromosomes. Although mutations in the chromosomal Par system have effects on segregation efficiency, the exact mechanism by which the chromosomes are segregated into the daughter cells is not fully understood. We describe the polar localization of the ParB origin nucleoprotein complex in the actinomycete Corynebacterium glutamicum. ParB and the origin of replication were found to be stably localized to the cell poles. After replication, the origins move toward the opposite pole. Purified ParB was able to bind to the parS consensus sequence in vitro. C. glutamicum possesses two ParA-like partitioning ATPase proteins. Both proteins interact with ParB but show a slightly different subcellular localization and phenotype. While ParA might be part of a conventional partitioning system, PldP seems to play a role in division site selection.

Virulence gene regulation by CvfA, a putative RNase: the CvfA-enolase complex in Streptococcus pyogenes links nutritional stress, growth-phase control, and virulence gene expression

Streptococcus pyogenes, a multiple-auxotrophic human pathogen, regulates virulence gene expression according to nutritional availability during various stages in the infection process or in different infection sites. We discovered that CvfA influenced the expression of virulence genes according to growth phase and nutritional status. The influence of CvfA in C medium, rich in peptides and poor in carbohydrates, was most pronounced at the stationary phase. Under these conditions, up to 30% of the transcriptome exhibited altered expression; the levels of expression of multiple virulence genes were altered, including the genes encoding streptokinase, CAMP factor, streptolysin O, M protein (more abundant in the CvfA(-) mutant), SpeB, mitogenic factor, and streptolysin S (less abundant). The increase of carbohydrates or peptides in media restored the levels of expression of the virulence genes in the CvfA(-) mutant to wild-type levels (emm, ska, and cfa by carbohydrates; speB by peptides). Even though the regulation of gene expression dependent on nutritional stress is commonly linked to the stringent response, the levels of ppGpp were not altered by deletion of cvfA. Instead, CvfA interacted with enolase, implying that CvfA, a putative RNase, controls the transcript decay rates of virulence factors or their regulators according to nutritional status. The virulence of CvfA(-) mutants was highly attenuated in murine models, indicating that CvfA-mediated gene regulation is necessary for the pathogenesis of S. pyogenes. Taken together, the CvfA-enolase complex in S. pyogenes is involved in the regulation of virulence gene expression by controlling RNA degradation according to nutritional stress.

Temporal controls of the asymmetric cell division cycle in Caulobacter crescentus

The asymmetric cell division cycle of Caulobacter crescentus is orchestrated by an elaborate gene-protein regulatory network, centered on three major control proteins, DnaA, GcrA and CtrA. The regulatory network is cast into a quantitative computational model to investigate in a systematic fashion how these three proteins control the relevant genetic, biochemical and physiological properties of proliferating bacteria. Different controls for both swarmer and stalked cell cycles are represented in the mathematical scheme. The model is validated against observed phenotypes of wild-type cells and relevant mutants, and it predicts the phenotypes of novel mutants and of known mutants under novel experimental conditions. Because the cell cycle control proteins of Caulobacter are conserved across many species of alpha-proteobacteria, the model we are proposing here may be applicable to other genera of importance to agriculture and medicine (e.g., Rhizobium, Brucella).

E. coli transports aggregated proteins to the poles by a specific and energy-dependent process

Aggregation of proteins due to failure of quality control mechanisms is deleterious to both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. We found that in Escherichia coli, protein aggregates are delivered to the pole and form a large polar aggregate (LPA). The formation of LPAs involves two steps: the formation of multiple small aggregates and the delivery of these aggregates to the pole to form an LPA. Formation of randomly distributed aggregates, their delivery to the poles, and LPA formation are all energy-dependent processes. The latter steps require the proton motive force, activities of the DnaK and DnaJ chaperones, and MreB. About 90 min after their formation, the LPAs are dissolved in a process that is dependent upon ClpB, DnaK, and energy. Our results confirm and substantiate the notion that the formation of LPAs allows asymmetric inheritance of the aggregated proteins to a small number of daughter cells, enabling their rapid elimination from most of the bacterial population. Moreover, the results show that the processing of aggregated proteins by the protein quality control system is a multi-step process with distinct spatial and temporal controls.

Correct timing of dnaA transcription and initiation of DNA replication requires trans translation

The trans translation pathway for protein tagging and ribosome release has been found in all bacteria and is required for proliferation and differentiation in many systems. Caulobacter crescentus mutants that lack the trans translation pathway have a defect in the cell cycle and do not initiate DNA replication at the correct time. To determine the molecular basis for this phenotype, effects on events known to be important for initiation of DNA replication were investigated. In the absence of trans translation, transcription from the dnaA promoter and an origin-proximal promoter involved in replication initiation is delayed. Characterization of the dnaA promoter revealed two cis-acting elements that have dramatic effects on dnaA gene expression. A 5' leader sequence in dnaA mRNA represses gene expression by >15-fold but does not affect the timing of dnaA expression. The second cis-acting element, a sequence upstream of the -35 region, affects both the amount of dnaA transcription and the timing of transcription in response to trans translation. Mutations in this promoter element eliminate the transcription delay and partially suppress the DNA replication phenotype in mutants lacking trans translation activity. These results suggest that the trans translation capacity of the cell is sensed through the dnaA promoter to control the timing of DNA replication initiation.

Bacillus subtilis MinC destabilizes FtsZ-rings at new cell poles and contributes to the timing of cell division

Division site selection in rod-shaped bacteria depends on nucleoid occlusion, which prevents division over the chromosome and MinCD, which prevent division at the poles. MinD is thought to localize MinC to the cell poles where it prevents FtsZ assembly. Time-lapse microscopy demonstrates that in Bacillus subtilis transient polar FtsZ rings assemble adjacent to recently completed septa and that in minCD strains these persist and are used for division, producing a minicell. This suggests that MinC acts when division proteins are released from newly completed septa to prevent their immediate reassembly at new cell poles. The minCD mutant appears to uncouple FtsZ ring assembly from cell division and thus shows a variable interdivisional time and a rapid loss of cell cycle synchrony. Functional MinC-GFP expressed from the chromosome minCD locus is dynamic. It is recruited to active division sites before septal biogenesis, rotates around the septum, and moves away from completed septa. Thus high concentrations of MinC are found primarily at the septum and, more transiently, at the new cell pole. DivIVA and MinD recruit MinC to division sites, rather than mediating the stable polar localization previously thought to restrict MinC activity to the pole. Together, our results suggest that B. subtilis MinC does not inhibit FtsZ assembly at the cell poles, but rather prevents polar FtsZ rings adjacent to new cell poles from supporting cell division.

Biology of trans-translation

The trans-translation mechanism is a key component of multiple quality control pathways in bacteria that ensure proteins are synthesized with high fidelity in spite of challenges such as transcription errors, mRNA damage, and translational frameshifting. trans-Translation is performed by a ribonucleoprotein complex composed of tmRNA, a specialized RNA with properties of both a tRNA and an mRNA, and the small protein SmpB. tmRNA-SmpB interacts with translational complexes stalled at the 3' end of an mRNA to release the stalled ribosomes and target the nascent polypeptides and mRNAs for degradation. In addition to quality control pathways, some genetic regulatory circuits use trans-translation to control gene expression. Diverse bacteria require trans-translation when they execute large changes in their genetic programs, including responding to stress, pathogenesis, and differentiation.

Bacterial growth and cell division: a mycobacterial perspective

The genus Mycobacterium is best known for its two major pathogenic species, M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, the causative agents of two of the world's oldest diseases, tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. M. tuberculosis kills approximately two million people each year and is thought to latently infect one-third of the world's population. One of the most remarkable features of the nonsporulating M. tuberculosis is its ability to remain dormant within an individual for decades before reactivating into active tuberculosis. Thus, control of cell division is a critical part of the disease. The mycobacterial cell wall has unique characteristics and is impermeable to a number of compounds, a feature in part responsible for inherent resistance to numerous drugs. The complexity of the cell wall represents a challenge to the organism, requiring specialized mechanisms to allow cell division to occur. Besides these mycobacterial specializations, all bacteria face some common challenges when they divide. First, they must maintain their normal architecture during and after cell division. In the case of mycobacteria, that means synthesizing the many layers of complex cell wall and maintaining their rod shape. Second, they need to coordinate synthesis and breakdown of cell wall components to maintain integrity throughout division. Finally, they need to regulate cell division in response to environmental stimuli. Here we discuss these challenges and the mechanisms that mycobacteria employ to meet them. Because these organisms are difficult to study, in many cases we extrapolate from information known for gram-negative bacteria or more closely related GC-rich gram-positive organisms.

Screen for localized proteins in Caulobacter crescentus

Precise localization of individual proteins is required for processes such as motility, chemotaxis, cell-cycle progression, and cell division in bacteria, but the number of proteins that are localized in bacterial species is not known. A screen based on transposon mutagenesis and fluorescence activated cell sorting was devised to identify large numbers of localized proteins, and employed in Caulobacter crescentus. From a sample of the clones isolated in the screen, eleven proteins with no previously characterized localization in C. crescentus were identified, including six hypothetical proteins. The localized hypothetical proteins included one protein that was localized in a helix-like structure, and two proteins for which the localization changed as a function of the cell cycle, suggesting that complex three-dimensional patterns and cell cycle-dependent localization are likely to be common in bacteria. Other mutants produced localized fusion proteins even though the transposon has inserted near the 5′ end of a gene, demonstrating that short peptides can contain sufficient information to localize bacterial proteins. The screen described here could be used in most bacterial species.

The SOS Regulatory Network

All organisms possess a diverse set of genetic programs that are used to alter cellular physiology in response to environmental cues. The gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli, mounts what is known as the "SOS response" following DNA damage, replication fork arrest, and a myriad of other environmental stresses. For over 50 years, E. coli has served as the paradigm for our understanding of the transcriptional, and physiological changes that occur following DNA damage (400). In this chapter, we summarize the current view of the SOS response and discuss how this genetic circuit is regulated. In addition to examining the E. coli SOS response, we also include a discussion of the SOS regulatory networks in other bacteria to provide a broader perspective on how prokaryotes respond to DNA damage.

A quantitative study of the division cycle of Caulobacter crescentus stalked cells

Progression of a cell through the division cycle is tightly controlled at different steps to ensure the integrity of genome replication and partitioning to daughter cells. From published experimental evidence, we propose a molecular mechanism for control of the cell division cycle in Caulobacter crescentus. The mechanism, which is based on the synthesis and degradation of three “master regulator” proteins (CtrA, GcrA, and DnaA), is converted into a quantitative model, in order to study the temporal dynamics of these and other cell cycle proteins. The model accounts for important details of the physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of cell cycle control in stalked C. crescentus cell. It reproduces protein time courses in wild-type cells, mimics correctly the phenotypes of many mutant strains, and predicts the phenotypes of currently uncharacterized mutants. Since many of the proteins involved in regulating the cell cycle of C. crescentus are conserved among many genera of α-proteobacteria, the proposed mechanism may be applicable to other species of importance in agriculture and medicine.

The cell cycle is the sequence of events by which a growing cell replicates all its components and divides them more or less evenly between two daughter cells. The timing and spatial organization of these events are controlled by gene–protein interaction networks of great complexity. A challenge for computational biology is to build realistic, accurate, predictive mathematical models of these control systems in a variety of organisms, both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. To this end, we present a model of a portion of the molecular network controlling DNA synthesis, cell cycle–related gene expression, DNA methylation, and cell division in stalked cells of the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. The model is formulated in terms of nonlinear ordinary differential equations for the major cell cycle regulatory proteins in Caulobacter: CtrA, GcrA, DnaA, CcrM, and DivK. Kinetic rate constants are estimated, and the model is tested against available experimental observations on wild-type and mutant cells. The model is viewed as a starting point for more comprehensive models of the future that will account, in addition, for the spatial asymmetry of Caulobacter reproduction (swarmer cells as well as stalked cells), the correlation of cell growth and division, and cell cycle checkpoints.

Proteomic identification of tmRNA substrates

The tmRNA-SmpB system releases ribosomes stalled on truncated mRNAs and tags the nascent polypeptides to target them for proteolysis. In many species, mutations that disrupt tmRNA activity cause defects in growth or development. In Caulobacter crescentus cells lacking tmRNA activity there is a delay in the initiation of DNA replication, which disrupts the cell cycle. To understand the molecular basis for this phenotype, 73 C. crescentus proteins were identified that are tagged by tmRNA under normal growth conditions. Among these substrates, proteins involved in DNA replication, recombination, and repair were overrepresented, suggesting that misregulation of these factors in the absence of tmRNA activity might be responsible for the delay in initiation of DNA replication. Analysis of the tagging sites within these substrates revealed a conserved nucleotide motif 5' of the tagging site, which is required for wild-type tmRNA tagging.

Secrets of soil survival revealed by the genome sequence of Arthrobacter aurescens TC1

Arthrobacter sp. strains are among the most frequently isolated, indigenous, aerobic bacterial genera found in soils. Member of the genus are metabolically and ecologically diverse and have the ability to survive in environmentally harsh conditions for extended periods of time. The genome of Arthrobacter aurescens strain TC1, which was originally isolated from soil at an atrazine spill site, is composed of a single 4,597,686 basepair (bp) circular chromosome and two circular plasmids, pTC1 and pTC2, which are 408,237 bp and 300,725 bp, respectively. Over 66% of the 4,702 open reading frames (ORFs) present in the TC1 genome could be assigned a putative function, and 13.2% (623 genes) appear to be unique to this bacterium, suggesting niche specialization. The genome of TC1 is most similar to that of Tropheryma, Leifsonia, Streptomyces, and Corynebacterium glutamicum, and analyses suggest that A. aurescens TC1 has expanded its metabolic abilities by relying on the duplication of catabolic genes and by funneling metabolic intermediates generated by plasmid-borne genes to chromosomally encoded pathways. The data presented here suggest that Arthrobacter's environmental prevalence may be due to its ability to survive under stressful conditions induced by starvation, ionizing radiation, oxygen radicals, and toxic chemicals.

Soil systems contain the greatest diversity of microorganisms on earth, with 5,000–10,000 species of microorganism per gram of soil. Arthrobacter sp. strains have a primitive life cycle and are among the most frequently isolated, indigenous soil bacteria, found in common and deep subsurface soils, arctic ice, and environments contaminated with industrial chemicals and radioactive materials. To better understand how these bacteria survive in environmentally harsh conditions, the authors used a structural genomics approach to identify genes involved in soil survival of Arthrobacter aurescens strain TC1, a bacterium originally isolated for its ability to degrade the herbicide atrazine. They found that the genome of this bacterium comprises a single circular chromosome and two plasmids that encode for a large number proteins involved in stress responses due to starvation, desiccation, oxygen radicals, and toxic chemicals. A. aurescens' metabolic versatility is in part due to the presence of duplicated catabolic genes and its ability to funnel plasmid-derived intermediates into chromosomally encoded pathways. Arthrobacter's array of genes that allow for survival in stressful conditions and its ability to produce a temperature-tolerant “cyst”-like resting cell render this soil microorganism able to survive and prosper in a variety of environmental conditions.

Peptide signals encode protein localization

Many bacterial proteins are localized to precise intracellular locations, but in most cases the mechanism for encoding localization information is not known. Screening libraries of peptides fused to green fluorescent protein identified sequences that directed the protein to helical structures or to midcell. These peptides indicate that protein localization can be encoded in 20-amino-acid peptides instead of complex protein-protein interactions and raise the possibility that the location of a protein within the cell could be predicted from bioinformatic data.

Transcriptome changes and cAMP oscillations in an archaeal cell cycle

BACKGROUND

The cell cycle of all organisms includes mass increase by a factor of two, replication of the genetic material, segregation of the genome to different parts of the cell, and cell division into two daughter cells. It is tightly regulated and typically includes cell cycle-specific oscillations of the levels of transcripts, proteins, protein modifications, and signaling molecules. Until now cell cycle-specific transcriptome changes have been described for four eukaryotic species ranging from yeast to human, but only for two prokaryotic species. Similarly, oscillations of small signaling molecules have been identified in very few eukaryotic species, but not in any prokaryote.

RESULTS

A synchronization procedure for the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum was optimized, so that nearly 100% of all cells divide in a time interval that is 1/4th of the generation time of exponentially growing cells. The method was used to characterize cell cycle-dependent transcriptome changes using a genome-wide DNA microarray. The transcript levels of 87 genes were found to be cell cycle-regulated, corresponding to 3% of all genes. They could be clustered into seven groups with different transcript level profiles. Cluster-specific sequence motifs were detected around the start of the genes that are predicted to be involved in cell cycle-specific transcriptional regulation. Notably, many cell cycle genes that have oscillating transcript levels in eukaryotes are not regulated on the transcriptional level in H. salinarum. Synchronized cultures were also used to identify putative small signaling molecules. H. salinarum was found to contain a basal cAMP concentration of 200 microM, considerably higher than that of yeast. The cAMP concentration is shortly induced directly prior to and after cell division, and thus cAMP probably is an important signal for cell cycle progression.

CONCLUSION

The analysis of cell cycle-specific transcriptome changes of H. salinarum allowed to identify a strategy of transcript level regulation that is different from all previously characterized species. The transcript levels of only 3% of all genes are regulated, a fraction that is considerably lower than has been reported for four eukaryotic species (6%-28%) and for the bacterium C. crescentus (19%). It was shown that cAMP is present in significant concentrations in an archaeon, and the phylogenetic profile of the adenylate cyclase indicates that this signaling molecule is widely distributed in archaea. The occurrence of cell cycle-dependent oscillations of the cAMP concentration in an archaeon and in several eukaryotic species indicates that cAMP level changes might be a phylogenetically old signal for cell cycle progression.

The trans-envelope Tol-Pal complex is part of the cell division machinery and required for proper outer-membrane invagination during cell constriction in E. coli

Fission of bacterial cells involves the co-ordinated invagination of the envelope layers. Invagination of the cytoplasmic membrane (IM) and peptidoglycan (PG) layer is likely driven by the septal ring organelle. Invagination of the outer membrane (OM) in Gram-negative species is thought to occur passively via its tethering to the underlying PG layer with generally distributed PG-binding OM (lipo)proteins. The Tol-Pal system is energized by proton motive force and is well conserved in Gram-negative bacteria. It consists of five proteins that can connect the OM to both the PG and IM layers via protein-PG and protein-protein interactions. Although the system is needed to maintain full OM integrity, and for class A colicins and filamentous phages to enter cells, its precise role has remained unclear. We show that all five components accumulate at constriction sites in Escherichia coli and that mutants lacking an intact system suffer delayed OM invagination and contain large OM blebs at constriction sites and cell poles. We propose that Tol-Pal constitutes a dynamic subcomplex of the division apparatus in Gram-negative bacteria that consumes energy to establish transient trans-envelope connections at/near the septal ring to draw the OM onto the invaginating PG and IM layers during constriction.

A mechanical explanation for cytoskeletal rings and helices in bacteria

Several bacterial proteins have been shown to polymerize into coils or rings on cell membranes. These include the cytoskeletal proteins MreB, FtsZ, and MinD, which together with other cell components make up what is being called the bacterial cytoskeleton. We believe that these shapes arise, at least in part, from the interaction of the inherent mechanical properties of the protein polymers and the constraints imposed by the curved cell membrane. This hypothesis, presented as a simple mechanical model, was tested with numerical energy-minimization methods from which we found that there are five low-energy polymer morphologies on a rod-shaped membrane: rings, lines, helices, loops, and polar-targeted circles. Analytic theory was used to understand the possible structures and to create phase diagrams that show which parameter combinations lead to which structures. Inverting the results, it is possible to infer the effective mechanical bending parameters of protein polymers from fluorescence images of their shapes. This theory also provides a plausible explanation for the morphological changes exhibited by the Z ring in a sporulating Bacillus subtilis; is used to calculate the mechanical force exerted on a cell membrane by a polymer; and allows predictions of polymer shapes in mutant cells.

Microfabrication meets microbiology

This Review summarizes methods for constructing systems and structures at micron or submicron scales that have applications in microbiology. These tools make it possible to manipulate individual cells and their immediate extracellular environments and have the capability to transform the study of microbial physiology and behaviour. Because of their simplicity, low cost and use in microfabrication, we focus on the application of soft lithographic techniques to the study of microorganisms, and describe several key areas in microbiology in which the development of new microfabricated materials and tools can have a crucial role.

Visualizing the proteome of Escherichia coli: an efficient and versatile method for labeling chromosomal coding DNA sequences (CDSs) with fluorescent protein genes

To investigate the feasibility of conducting a genomic-scale protein labeling and localization study in Escherichia coli, a representative subset of 23 coding DNA sequences (CDSs) was selected for chromosomal tagging with one or more fluorescent protein genes (EGFP, EYFP, mRFP1, DsRed2). We used λ-Red recombination to precisely and efficiently position PCR-generated DNA targeting cassettes containing a fluorescent protein gene and an antibiotic resistance marker, at the C-termini of the CDSs of interest, creating in-frame fusions under the control of their native promoters. We incorporated cre/loxP and flpe/frt technology to enable multiple rounds of chromosomal tagging events to be performed sequentially with minimal disruption to the target locus, thus allowing sets of proteins to be co-localized within the cell. The visualization of labeled proteins in live E. coli cells using fluorescence microscopy revealed a striking variety of distributions including: membrane and nucleoid association, polar foci and diffuse cytoplasmic localization. Fifty of the fifty-two independent targeting experiments performed were successful, and 21 of the 23 selected CDSs could be fluorescently visualized. Our results show that E. coli has an organized and dynamic proteome, and demonstrate that this approach is applicable for tagging and (co-) localizing CDSs on a genome-wide scale.

The timing of cotE expression affects Bacillus subtilis spore coat morphology but not lysozyme resistance

The synthesis of structural components and morphogenetic factors required for the assembly of the Bacillus subtilis spore coat is governed by a mother cell-specific transcriptional cascade. The first two temporal classes of gene expression, which involve RNA polymerase sigma sigma(E) factor and the ancillary regulators GerR and SpoIIID, are deployed prior to engulfment of the prespore by the mother cell. The two last classes rely on sigma(K), whose activation follows engulfment completion, and GerE. The cotE gene codes for a morphogenetic protein essential for the assembly of the outer coat layer and spore resistance to lysozyme. cotE is expressed first from a sigma(E)-dependent promoter and, in a second stage, from a promoter that additionally requires SpoIIID and that remains active under sigma(K) control. CotE localizes prior to engulfment completion close to the surface of the developing spore, but formation of the outer coat is a late, sigma(K)-controlled event. We have transplanted cotE to progressively later classes of mother cell gene expression. This created an early class of mutants in which cotE is expressed prior to engulfment completion and a late class in which expression of cotE follows the complete engulfment of the prespore. Mutants of the early class assemble a nearly normal outer coat structure, whereas mutants of the late class do not. Hence, the early expression of CotE is essential for outer coat assembly. Surprisingly, however, all mutants were fully resistant to lysozyme. The results suggest that CotE has genetically separable functions in spore resistance to lysozyme and spore outer coat assembly.

Rem, a new transcriptional activator of motility and chemotaxis in Sinorhizobium meliloti

The expression of 51 known genes clustered in the flagellar regulon of Sinorhizobium meliloti is organized as a three-class hierarchy: class IA comprises the master regulatory genes, visN and visR; class II, controlled by VisNR, comprises flagellar assembly and motility genes; and class III comprises flagellin and chemotaxis genes requiring class II for expression. The expression of visN-visR is constitutive throughout growth, whereas that of class II and class III genes is limited to exponential growth. A new OmpR-like, 25-kDa transcription factor, Rem, whose synthesis is confined to exponential growth, was shown to positively control swimming motility. No phosphorylation of the receiver domain of Rem was required for its activity. Gene expression in tester strains with known deficiencies placed the rem gene (class IB) below visN-visR (class IA) and above class II genes in the regulatory cascade. Footprinting analysis demonstrated that the Rem protein binds to class II gene promoters as well as to its own promoter, indicating that this protein is autoregulatory. An alignment of the Rem-protected DNA sequences revealed a conserved binding motif of imperfect tandem repeats overlapping a predicted -35 promoter box by 3 bp. This new promoter was confirmed by mapping the transcription start site of a typical class II gene, flgB, 5 nucleotides downstream of the -10 promoter box. The transcription of rem is under dual control of an upstream (Rem-activated) class II-type promoter and a downstream (VisNR-activated) sigma70-like promoter. The central role of Rem as the growth-dependent transcriptional activator intermediate between the master regulator, VisNR, and the flagellar and motility genes is a new distinguishing feature of the S. meliloti regulatory cascade.

GroES/GroEL and DnaK/DnaJ have distinct roles in stress responses and during cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus

Misfolding and aggregation of protein molecules are major threats to all living organisms. Therefore, cells have evolved quality control systems for proteins consisting of molecular chaperones and proteases, which prevent protein aggregation by either refolding or degrading misfolded proteins. DnaK/DnaJ and GroES/GroEL are the best-characterized molecular chaperone systems in bacteria. In Caulobacter crescentus these chaperone machines are the products of essential genes, which are both induced by heat shock and cell cycle regulated. In this work, we characterized the viabilities of conditional dnaKJ and groESL mutants under different types of environmental stress, as well as under normal physiological conditions. We observed that C. crescentus cells with GroES/EL depleted are quite resistant to heat shock, ethanol, and freezing but are sensitive to oxidative, saline, and osmotic stresses. In contrast, cells with DnaK/J depleted are not affected by the presence of high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, NaCl, and sucrose but have a lower survival rate after heat shock, exposure to ethanol, and freezing and are unable to acquire thermotolerance. Cells lacking these chaperones also have morphological defects under normal growth conditions. The absence of GroE proteins results in long, pinched filamentous cells with several Z-rings, whereas cells lacking DnaK/J are only somewhat more elongated than normal predivisional cells, and most of them do not have Z-rings. These findings indicate that there is cell division arrest, which occurs at different stages depending on the chaperone machine affected. Thus, the two chaperone systems have distinct roles in stress responses and during cell cycle progression in C. crescentus.

Identification and characterization of bacterial cysteine dioxygenases: a new route of cysteine degradation for eubacteria

In metazoa and fungi, the catabolic dissimilation of cysteine begins with its sulfoxidation to cysteine sulfinic acid by the enzyme cysteine dioxygenase (CDO). In these organisms, CDO plays an important role in the homeostatic regulation of steady-state cysteine levels and provides important oxidized metabolites of cysteine such as sulfate and taurine. To date, there has been no experimental evidence for the presence of CDO in prokaryotes. Using PSI-BLAST searches and crystallographic information about the active-site geometry of mammalian CDOs, we identified a total of four proteins from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) that shared low overall identity to CDO (13 to 21%) but nevertheless conserved important active-site residues. These four proteins were heterologously expressed and purified to homogeneity by a single-step immobilized metal affinity chromatography procedure. The ability of these proteins to oxidize cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid was then compared against recombinant rat CDO. The kinetic data strongly indicate that these proteins are indeed bona fide CDOs. Phylogenetic analyses of putative bacterial CDO homologs also indicate that CDO is distributed among species within the phyla of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Collectively, these data suggest that a large subset of eubacteria is capable of cysteine sulfoxidation. Suggestions are made for how this novel pathway of cysteine metabolism may play a role in the life cycle of the eubacteria that have it.

A phosphorelay system controls stalk biogenesis during cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus

A fundamental question in developmental biology is how morphogenesis is coordinated with cell cycle progression. In Caulobacter crescentus, each cell cycle produces morphologically distinct daughter cells, a stalked cell and a flagellated swarmer cell. Construction of both the flagellum and stalk requires the alternative sigma factor RpoN (sigma(54)). Here we report that a sigma(54)-dependent activator, TacA, is required for cell cycle regulated stalk biogenesis by collaborating with RpoN to activate gene expression. We have also identified the first histidine phosphotransferase in C. crescentus, ShpA, and show that it too is required for stalk biogenesis. Using a systematic biochemical technique called phosphotransfer profiling we have identified a multicomponent phosphorelay which leads from the hybrid histidine kinase ShkA to ShpA and finally to TacA. This pathway functions in vivo to phosphorylate and hence, activate TacA. Finally, whole genome microarrays were used to identify candidate members of the TacA regulon, and we show that at least one target gene, staR, regulates stalk length. This is the first example of a general method for identifying the connectivity of a phosphorelay and can be applied to any organism with two-component signal transduction systems.

A molecular beacon defines bacterial cell asymmetry

Many cells divide asymmetrically by generating two different cell ends or poles prior to cell division, but the mechanisms by which cells distinguish one pole from the other is poorly understood. In this issue of Cell, Huitema et al. (2006) and Lam et al. (2006) describe a protein that defines one specific pole of a bacterial cell by localizing to the site of cell division to be inherited by both progeny at the resulting new poles.

Changing cellular location of CheZ predicted by molecular simulations

In the chemotaxis pathway of the bacterium Escherichia coli, signals are carried from a cluster of receptors to the flagellar motors by the diffusion of the protein CheY-phosphate (CheYp) through the cytoplasm. A second protein, CheZ, which promotes dephosphorylation of CheYp, partially colocalizes with receptors in the plasma membrane. CheZ is normally dimeric in solution but has been suggested to associate into highly active oligomers in the presence of CheYp. A model is presented here and supported by Brownian dynamics simulations, which accounts for these and other experimental data: A minority component of the receptor cluster (dimers of CheA_short) nucleates CheZ oligomerization and CheZ molecules move from the cytoplasm to a bound state at the receptor cluster depending on the current level of cellular stimulation. The corresponding simulations suggest that dynamic CheZ localization will sharpen cellular responses to chemoeffectors, increase the range of detectable ligand concentrations, and make adaptation more precise and robust. The localization and activation of CheZ constitute a negative feedback loop that provides a second tier of adaptation to the system. Subtle adjustments of this kind are likely to be found in many other signaling pathways.

In order to function effectively, a living cell must not only synthesize the correct molecules but also put them in the correct place. Understanding how this positioning occurs, and what its consequences are, is a matter of great interest and concern to contemporary biologists. The author here proposes a novel mechanism that will enhance the ability of a bacterial cell to perform chemotaxis—the ability to swim toward sources of food or away from noxious substances. In this hypothesis, a key protein in the chemotaxis pathway moves dynamically between the membrane and the cytoplasm depending on the presence of attractants or repellents. This idea is explored and tested by means of detailed molecular simulations in which all of the relevant molecules are shown in their correct location in the cell. The simulations show that the proposed shift in location of the key molecule will improve the speed, range, and robustness of the cell's response. It seems likely that similar movements of proteins will occur in many other signaling pathways.