Cell Division
Cell division is one of the most fundamental processes in biology. In bacteria division involves invagination of key cell envelope layers – the membrane and the cell wall, followed by separation of the daughter cells. Division is orchestrated by the tubulin-like protein, FtsZ, which polymerizes to form a ring-like structure at the mid point of the cell. Meanwhile, it recruits up to 20 or so factors involved in different aspects of the division process. Division is an interesting potential target for novel antibiotics, as well as being of basic interest.
We study cell division in the Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis. We previously identified and characterised the role key regulators of division site placement, Noc and the MinCDJ-DivIVA systems. Through an Errington spin out company, Prolysis Ltd (later part of Biota Pharmaceuticals Inc) we studied the properties of a novel class of cell division inhibitors. Our research goals are to elucidate the detailed mechanisms of cell division in B. subtilis and other bacteria, potentially exploiting these findings through development of novel potential antibiotics
Key papers from the lab
Edwards DH and Errington J. (1997) The Bacillus subtilis DivIVA protein targets to the division septum and controls the site specificity of cell division. Mol. Microbiology 24, 905-915.
Marston AL, Thomaides HB, Edwards DH, Sharpe ME and Errington J. (1998) Polar localization of the MinD protein of Bacillus subtilis and its role in selection of the mid-cell division site. Genes Devel. 12, 3419-3430.
Wu LJ and Errington J. (2004) Coordination of cell division and chromosome segregation by a nucleoid occlusion protein in Bacillus subtilis. Cell 117, 915-925.
Haydon DJ, Stokes NR, Ure R, Galbraith G, Bennett JM, Brown DR, Baker PJ, Barynin VV, Rice DW, Sedelnikova SE, Heal JR, Sheridan JM, Aiwale ST, Chauhan PK, Srivastava A, Taneja A, Collins I, Errington J and Czaplewski LG (2008) An inhibitor of FtsZ with potent and selective anti-staphylococcal activity. Science 321, 1673-1675. (Work at Prolysis Ltd)
Lenarcic R, Halbedel S, Visser L, Shaw M, Wu LJ, Errington J, Marenduzzo D, Hamoen LW. (2009) Localisation of DivIVA by targeting to negatively curved membranes. EMBO J. 28, 2272-2282.
Wu LJ, Ishikawa S, Kawai Y, Oshima T, Ogasawara N, Errington J. (2009) Noc protein binds to specific DNA sequences to coordinate cell division with chromosome segregation. EMBO J. 28, 1940-1952.
Adams D, Errington J. (2009) Bacterial cell division: assembly, maintenance and disassembly of the Z ring. Nature Revs Microbiol 7, 642-653.
Adams DW, Wu LJ, Czaplewski LG, Errington J. (2011) Multiple effects of benzamide antibiotics on FtsZ function. Mol. Microbiol. 80, 68-84.
