Bacterial translation elongation factor EF-Tu interacts and colocalizes with actin-like MreB protein

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America  
Volume
107
Issue
7
Start Page
3163
End Page
3168
Citation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107 (7): 3163-3168 (2010-02-16)
Publisher DOI
10.1073/pnas.0911979107
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-77649268964
PubMed ID
20133608
Publisher
National Acad. of Sciences
We show that translation initiation factor EF-Tu plays a second important role in cell shape maintenance in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. EF-Tu localizes in a helical pattern underneath the cell membrane and colocalizes with MreB, an actin-like cytoskeletal element setting up rod cell shape. The localization of MreB and of EF-Tu is interdependent, but in contrast to the dynamic MreB filaments, EF-Tu structures are more static and may serve as tracks for MreB filaments. In agreement with this idea, EF-Tu and MreB interact in vivo and in vitro. Lowering of the EF-Tu levels had a minor effect on translation but a strong effect on cell shape and on the localization of MreB, and blocking of the function of EF-Tu in translation did not interfere with the localization of MreB, showing that, directly or indirectly, EF-Tu affects the cytoskeletal MreB structure and thus serves two important functions in a bacterium.
Subjects
Bacillus subtilis
Bacterial cytoskeleton
Cell shape
DDC Class
570: Biowissenschaften, Biologie