Mechanical roles of the bacterial cytoskeleton

By Joshua Shaevitz, Princeton

June 2, 2009

CNLS Conference room.

Bacteria possess homologs of all three classes of eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins. These filamentous proteins have been shown to localize proteins essential for a number of cell-biological processes in prokaryotes such as cell growth and division. However, to date, there has been no direct evidence that the cytoskeleton in bacteria bears mechanical loads or can generate physical forces than are used by the cell. Using combined fluorescence and force microscopy we have found that MreB, an actin homolog, is responsible for half of Escherichia coli’s cellular rigidity. In addition, I will present evidence that MreB also plays an important role in force generation in gliding bacteria.

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