Liposome division by a simple bacterial division machinery

Liposome division by a simple bacterial division machinery.

We previously reconstituted Z rings in tubular multilamellar liposomes with FtsZ-YFP-mts, where mts is a membrane-targeting amphiphilic helix. These reconstituted Z rings generated a constriction force but did not divide the thick-walled liposomes. Here we developed a unique system to observe Z rings in unilamellar liposomes. FtsZ-YFP-mts incorporated inside large, unilamellar liposomes formed ...

Super-resolution imaging of the bacterial division machinery.

Bacterial cell division requires the coordinated assembly of more than ten essential proteins at midcell. Central to this process is the formation of a ring-like suprastructure (Z-ring) by the FtsZ protein at the division plan. The Z-ring consists of multiple single-stranded FtsZ protofilaments, and understanding the arrangement of the protofilaments inside the Z-ring will provide insight into ...

Bacterial Growth and Division

Division of Bacterial Infection

Clever Cattle Parasite Captures Cell Division Machinery

Parasites have developed clever and diverse ways of making sure they’re carried from one generation to the next and spread through their hosts’ bodies— not surprising since their lives depend on it. When some viruses want to ensure safe passage to the next generation, they incorporate their DNA right into the host’s genome. Others link their genome to host chromosomes so it gets carried along w...