Electron cryomicroscopy of E. coli reveals filament bundles involved in plasmid DNA segregation.

DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
19095899
Abstract
Bipolar elongation of filaments of the bacterial actin homolog ParM drives movement of newly replicated plasmid DNA to opposite poles of a bacterial cell. We used a combination of vitreous sectioning and electron cryotomography to study this DNA partitioning system directly in native, frozen cells. The diffraction patterns from overexpressed ParM bundles in electron cryotomographic reconstructions were used to unambiguously identify ParM filaments in Escherichia coli cells. Using a low-copy number plasmid encoding components required for partitioning, we observed small bundles of three to five intracellular ParM filaments that were situated close to the edge of the nucleoid. We propose that this may indicate the capture of plasmid DNA within the periphery of this loosely defined, chromosome-containing region.
Date Issued
2009-01-23
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Salje, Jeanne
Löwe, Jan
Additional Credits
Journal
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
ISSN
0036-8075
Access(Rights)
restricted
Show full item