The bacterial cell division proteins ftsA and ftsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns

article The bacterial cell division proteins ftsA and ftsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns published Martin Loose author 462D4284-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A870000-0001-7309-9724 Timothy Mitchison author Bacterial cytokinesis is commonly initiated by the Z-ring, a cytoskeletal structure that assembles at the site of division. Its primary component is FtsZ, a tubulin superfamily GTPase, which is recruited to the membrane by the actin-related protein FtsA. Both proteins are required for the formation of the Z-ring, but if and how they influence each other's assembly dynamics is not known. Here, we reconstituted FtsA-dependent recruitment of FtsZ polymers to supported membranes, where both proteins self-organize into complex patterns, such as fast-moving filament bundles and chirally rotating rings. Using fluorescence microscopy and biochemical perturbations, we found that these large-scale rearrangements of FtsZ emerge from its polymerization dynamics and a dual, antagonistic role of FtsA: recruitment of FtsZ filaments to the membrane and negative regulation of FtsZ organization. Our findings provide a model for the initial steps of bacterial cell division and illustrate how dynamic polymers can self-organize into large-scale structures. Nature Publishing Group2014 eng Nature Cell Biology 2431667210.1038/ncb2885 1638 - 46 yes M. Loose and T. Mitchison, “The bacterial cell division proteins ftsA and ftsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns,” Nature Cell Biology, vol. 16. Nature Publishing Group, pp. 38–46, 2014. Loose M, Mitchison T. The bacterial cell division proteins ftsA and ftsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns. Nature Cell Biology. 2014;16:38-46. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2885">10.1038/ncb2885</a> Loose, Martin, and Timothy Mitchison. “The Bacterial Cell Division Proteins FtsA and FtsZ Self-Organize into Dynamic Cytoskeletal Patterns.” Nature Cell Biology, vol. 16, Nature Publishing Group, 2014, pp. 38–46, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2885">10.1038/ncb2885</a>. Loose M, Mitchison T. 2014. The bacterial cell division proteins ftsA and ftsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns. Nature Cell Biology. 16, 38–46. M. Loose, T. Mitchison, Nature Cell Biology 16 (2014) 38–46. Loose, Martin, and Timothy Mitchison. “The Bacterial Cell Division Proteins FtsA and FtsZ Self-Organize into Dynamic Cytoskeletal Patterns.” Nature Cell Biology. Nature Publishing Group, 2014. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2885">https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2885</a>. Loose, M., & Mitchison, T. (2014). The bacterial cell division proteins ftsA and ftsZ self-organize into dynamic cytoskeletal patterns. Nature Cell Biology. Nature Publishing Group. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2885">https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2885</a> 19902018-12-11T11:55:05Z2025-08-05T14:41:58Z