Cell Division Site Placement and Asymmetric Growth in Mycobacteria
File(s)
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Mycobacteria are members of the actinomycetes that grow by tip extension and lack apparent homologues of the known cell division regulators found in other rod-shaped bacteria. Previous work using static microscopy on dividing mycobacteria led to the hypothesis that these cells can grow and divide asymmetrically, and at a wide range of sizes, in contrast to the cell growth and division patterns observed in the model rod-shaped organisms. In this study, we test this hypothesis using live-cell time-lapse imaging of dividing Mycobacterium smegmatis labelled with fluorescent PBP1a, to probe peptidoglycan synthesis and label the cell septum. We demonstrate that the new septum is placed accurately at mid-cell, and that the asymmetric division observed is a result of differential growth from the cell tips, with a more than 2-fold difference in growth rate between fast and slow growing poles. We also show that the division site is not selected at a characteristic cell length, suggesting this is not an important cue during the mycobacterial cell cycle.
Date Issued
2012-09-10
Date Acceptance
2012-08-08
Citation
PLOS One, 2012, 7 (9)
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Journal / Book Title
PLOS One
Volume
7
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© Joyce et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
ACTINOMYCETE CORYNEBACTERIUM-GLUTAMICUM
PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEINS
TO-POLE OSCILLATION
ESCHERICHIA-COLI
BACILLUS-SUBTILIS
WALL SYNTHESIS
LOCALIZATION
DIVIVA
TUBERCULOSIS
SMEGMATIS
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e44582