Curved FtsZ protofilaments generate bending forces on liposome membranes.
Abstract
We have created FtsZ-YFP-mts where an amphipathic helix on the C-terminus tethers
FtsZ to the membrane. When incorporated inside multi-lamellar tubular liposomes, FtsZ-YFP-mts
can assemble Z rings that generate a constriction force. When added to the outside
of liposomes, FtsZ-YFP-mts bound and produced concave depressions, bending the membrane
in the same direction as the Z ring inside liposomes. Prominent membrane tubules were
then extruded at the intersections of concave depressions. We tested the effect of
moving the membrane-targeting sequence (mts) from the C-terminus to the N-terminus,
which is approximately 180 degrees from the C-terminal tether. When mts-FtsZ-YFP was
applied to the outside of liposomes, it generated convex bulges, bending the membrane
in the direction opposite to the concave depressions. We conclude that FtsZ protofilaments
have a fixed direction of curvature, and the direction of membrane bending depends
on which side of the bent protofilament the mts is attached to. This supports models
in which the FtsZ constriction force is generated by protofilament bending.
Type
Journal articleSubject
MembranesCytoskeleton
Bacterial Proteins
Cytoskeletal Proteins
Liposomes
Protein Structure, Quaternary
Structure-Activity Relationship
Tensile Strength
Models, Biological
Models, Molecular
Torsion, Mechanical
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22300Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1038/emboj.2009.277Publication Info
Osawa, Masaki; Anderson, David E; & Erickson, Harold P (2009). Curved FtsZ protofilaments generate bending forces on liposome membranes. The EMBO journal, 28(22). pp. 3476-3484. 10.1038/emboj.2009.277. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22300.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Harold Paul Erickson
James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Recent research has been on cytoskeleton (eukaryotes and bacteria); a skirmish to
debunk the irisin story; a reinterpretation of proposed multivalent binders of the
coronavirus spike protein. I have also published an ebook on "Principles of Protein-Protein
Association" suitable for a course module or individual learning.
Masaki Osawa
Assistant Research Professor of Cell Biology
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