Asymmetric localization of the cell division machinery during Bacillus subtilis sporulation

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.62204
• Publication Date: 2021-05-21T12:00:26Z
• Authors: Kanika Khanna; Javier Lopez-Garrido; Joseph Sugie; Kit Pogliano; Elizabeth Villa
• Keywords: Asymmetric cell division; Live cell imaging

The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis can divide via two modes. During vegetative growth, the division septum is formed at midcell to produce equal daughter cells. However, during sporulation, closer one pole yield a smaller forespore and larger mother cell. Using cryo-electron tomography, genetics fluorescence microscopy, we found that organization of machinery different in septa. While FtsAZ filaments, major orchestrators bacterial cell division, are present uniformly around leading edge invaginating septa, they only on side sporulation We provide evidence suggesting distribution number filaments impact septal thickness, causing septa be thicker than already constriction. Finally, show sporulation-specific protein, SpoIIE, regulates asymmetric divisome localization thickness sporulation.