---
OA_type: closed access
_id: '21762'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Bacteria, like eukaryotes, use conserved cytoskeletal systems for intracellular
organization. The plasmid-encoded ParMRC system forms actin-like filaments that
segregate low–copy number plasmids. In multicellular cyanobacteria such as Anabaena
sp., we found that a chromosomally encoded ParMR system has evolved into a cytoskeletal
system named CorMR with a function in cell shape control rather than DNA segregation.
Live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution, and cryo–electron microscopy revealed
that CorM formed dynamically unstable, antiparallel double-stranded filaments
that were recruited to the membrane by CorR through an amphipathic helix conserved
in multicellular cyanobacteria. CorMR filaments were regulated by MinC, which
excluded them from the poles and division plane. Comparative genomics indicated
that the repurposing of ParMR and Min systems coevolved with cyanobacterial multicellularity,
highlighting the evolutionary plasticity of cytoskeletal systems in bacteria.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: ScienComp
- _id: EM-Fac
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: "We thank all members of the Loose lab at ISTA for helpful discussions;
M. Kojic for critical reading of the manuscript; A. Herrero (Sevilla University)
for sharing her extensive BACTH plasmid library and other plasmids, as well as cyanobacterial
strains; T. Dagan and F. Nies (both Kiel University) for sharing cyanobacterial
strains and plasmids and for valuable discussions; N. Sapay and A. Michon for providing
the Amphipaseek code, which enabled us to perform our large-scale amphipathic helix
screen of cyanobacterial CorR proteins; V.-V. Hodirnau for support in cryo-ET data
collection; and J. Hansen for advice about cryo-EM data processing.\r\nThis work
was supported by the Scientific Service Units (SSU) of ISTA through resources provided
by the Imaging & Optics Facility (IOF), the Scientific Computing (SciComp), the
Electron Microscopy Facility (EMF), and the Lab Support Facility (LSF). This work
was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
(Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant 101034413 to B.L.S.); the European Research Council
(ERC) of the European Union (grant ActinID 101076260 to F.K.M.S.); the Swiss National
Science Foundation (starting grant TMSGI3_226208 to G.L.W.); and the Jean-Jacques
et Letitia Lopez-Loreta Foundation (G.L.W.)."
article_number: eaea6343
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Benjamin L
full_name: Springstein, Benjamin L
id: b4eb62ef-ac72-11ed-9503-ed3b4d66c083
last_name: Springstein
orcid: 0000-0002-3461-5391
- first_name: Manjunath
full_name: Javoor, Manjunath
id: 305ab18b-dc7d-11ea-9b2f-b58195228ea2
last_name: Javoor
orcid: 0000-0003-2311-2112
- first_name: Daniela
full_name: Megrian, Daniela
last_name: Megrian
- first_name: Roman
full_name: Hajdu, Roman
id: ffab949d-133f-11ed-8f02-94de21ace503
last_name: Hajdu
- first_name: Dustin M.
full_name: Hanke, Dustin M.
last_name: Hanke
- first_name: Bettina
full_name: Zens, Bettina
id: 45FD126C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Zens
orcid: 0000-0002-9561-1239
- first_name: Gregor L.
full_name: Weiss, Gregor L.
last_name: Weiss
- first_name: Florian Km
full_name: Schur, Florian Km
id: 48AD8942-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Schur
orcid: 0000-0003-4790-8078
- first_name: Martin
full_name: Loose, Martin
id: 462D4284-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Loose
orcid: 0000-0001-7309-9724
citation:
ama: Springstein BL, Javoor M, Megrian D, et al. Repurposing of a DNA segregation
machinery into a cytoskeletal system controlling cell shape. Science. 2026;392(6795).
doi:10.1126/science.aea6343
apa: Springstein, B. L., Javoor, M., Megrian, D., Hajdu, R., Hanke, D. M., Zens,
B., … Loose, M. (2026). Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal
system controlling cell shape. Science. AAAS. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea6343
chicago: Springstein, Benjamin L, Manjunath Javoor, Daniela Megrian, Roman Hajdu,
Dustin M. Hanke, Bettina Zens, Gregor L. Weiss, Florian KM Schur, and Martin Loose.
“Repurposing of a DNA Segregation Machinery into a Cytoskeletal System Controlling
Cell Shape.” Science. AAAS, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea6343.
ieee: B. L. Springstein et al., “Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery
into a cytoskeletal system controlling cell shape,” Science, vol. 392,
no. 6795. AAAS, 2026.
ista: Springstein BL, Javoor M, Megrian D, Hajdu R, Hanke DM, Zens B, Weiss GL,
Schur FK, Loose M. 2026. Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal
system controlling cell shape. Science. 392(6795), eaea6343.
mla: Springstein, Benjamin L., et al. “Repurposing of a DNA Segregation Machinery
into a Cytoskeletal System Controlling Cell Shape.” Science, vol. 392,
no. 6795, eaea6343, AAAS, 2026, doi:10.1126/science.aea6343.
short: B.L. Springstein, M. Javoor, D. Megrian, R. Hajdu, D.M. Hanke, B. Zens, G.L.
Weiss, F.K. Schur, M. Loose, Science 392 (2026).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2026-04-26T22:01:46Z
date_published: 2026-04-16T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-28T13:29:05Z
day: '16'
department:
- _id: MaLo
- _id: FlSc
- _id: GradSch
- _id: EM-Fac
doi: 10.1126/science.aea6343
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
pmid:
- '41990175'
intvolume: ' 392'
issue: '6795'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '04'
oa_version: None
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: fc2ed2f7-9c52-11eb-aca3-c01059dda49c
call_identifier: H2020
grant_number: '101034413'
name: 'IST-BRIDGE: International postdoctoral program'
- _id: bd980d18-d553-11ed-ba76-ceaa645c97eb
grant_number: '101076260'
name: A molecular atlas of Actin filament IDentities in the cell motility machinery
publication: Science
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1095-9203
issn:
- 0036-8075
publication_status: published
publisher: AAAS
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal system controlling
cell shape
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 392
year: '2026'
...