Identification of Potential Regulatory Domains within the MreC and MreD Components of the Cell Elongation Machinery
Patricia D. A. Rohs, Jeanna M. Qiu, Grasiela Torres, Mandy D. Smith, Elayne M. Fivenson, Thomas G. Bernhardt
Abstract
Cell shape in bacteria is largely determined by the cell wall structure that surrounds them. The multi-protein machine called the Rod system (elongasome) has long been implicated in rod-shape determination in bacilli. However, the functions of many of its conserved components remain unclear. Here, we describe a new genetic system to dissect the function of these proteins and how we used it to identify potential regulatory domains within them that may modulate the function of the shape-determining machinery.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyElongationIdentification (biology)Cell biologyElongation factorBacterial proteinCellBacteriaComputational biologyGeneticsGeneRNARibosomeUltimate tensile strengthMetallurgyMaterials scienceBotanyBacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyGenomics and Phylogenetic StudiesRNA and protein synthesis mechanisms