CcrZ is a pneumococcal spatiotemporal cell cycle regulator that interacts with FtsZ and controls DNA replication by modulating the activity of DnaA

• DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00949-1
• Publication Date: 2021-08-09T16:28:56Z
• Authors: Clement Gallay; Stefano Sanselicio; Mary E. Anderson; Young Min Soh; Xue Liu; Gro A. Stamsås; Simone Pelliciari; Renske van Raaphorst; Julien Dénéréaz; Morten Kjos; Heath Murray; Stephan Gruber; Alan D. Grossman; Jan-Willem Veening
• Keywords: DnaA; FtsZ; Pre-replication complex

Most bacteria replicate and segregate their DNA concomitantly while growing, before cell division takes place. How synchronize these different cycle events to ensure faithful chromosome inheritance by daughter cells is poorly understood. Here, we identify Cell Cycle Regulator protein interacting with FtsZ (CcrZ) as a conserved essential in pneumococci related Firmicutes such Bacillus subtilis Staphylococcus aureus. CcrZ couples replication controlling the activity of master initiator replication, DnaA. The absence causes mis-timed reduced initiation which subsequently results aberrant division. We show that from Streptococcus pneumoniae interacts directly cytoskeleton FtsZ, places middle newborn where DnaA-bound origin positioned. This work uncovers mechanism for control bacterial controls DnaA replicated at right time during cycle.