Progression of the late-stage divisome is unaffected by the depletion of the cytoplasmic FtsZ pool

Abstract Cell division is a central and essential process in most bacteria, also due to its complexity highly coordinated nature, it has emerged as promising new antibiotic target pathway recent years. We have previously shown that ADEP antibiotics preferably induce the degradation of major cell protein FtsZ, thereby primarily leading depletion cytoplasmic FtsZ pool needed for treadmilling rings. To further investigate physiological consequences treatment, we here studied effect on different stages ring rod-shaped bacteria. Our data reveal disintegration early rings during treatment Bacillus subtilis , indicating an role thus dynamics initiation maturation divisome. However, progressed finalized cytokinesis once septal peptidoglycan synthase PBP2b, late-stage protein, colocalized at site, implying concentration are less critical late divisome assembly progression.