Bacterial shape Export

@article{K.D.Young.Rev.2003, abstract = {'Architecture is the adaptation of form to resist force'. John Ruskin (1874) In free-living eubacteria an external shell of peptidoglycan opposes internal hydrostatic pressure and prevents membrane rupture and death. At the same time, this wall imposes on each cell a shape. Because shape is both stable and heritable, as is the ability of many organisms to execute defined morphological transformations, cells must actively choose from among a large repertoire of available shapes. How they do so has been debated for decades, but recently experiment has begun to catch up with theory. Two discoveries are particularly informative. First, specific protein assemblies, nucleated by FtsZ, MreB or Mbl, appear to act as internal scaffolds that influence cell shape, perhaps by correctly localizing synthetic enzymes. Second, defects in cell shape are correlated with the presence of inappropriately placed, metabolically inert patches of peptidoglycan. When combined with what we know about mutants affecting cellular morphology, these observations suggest that bacteria may fabricate specific shapes by directing the synthesis of two kinds of cell wall: a long-lived, rigid framework that defines overall topology, and a metabolically plastic peptidoglycan whose shape is directed by internal scaffolds.}, address = {Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037, USA.}, author = {Young, Kevin D.}, citeulike-article-id = {6081256}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03607.x}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/118845516/ABSTRACT}, doi = {10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03607.x}, issn = {1365-2958}, journal = {Molecular Microbiology}, keywords = {bacteria, cell, cell\_shape, cellular\_morphology, scaffolds}, number = {3}, pages = {571--580}, posted-at = {2009-11-06 16:41:58}, priority = {2}, title = {Bacterial shape}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03607.x}, volume = {49}, year = {2003} }

TY - JOUR ID - K.D.Young.Rev.2003 L3 - citeulike-article-id:6081256 N2 - 'Architecture is the adaptation of form to resist force'. John Ruskin (1874) In free-living eubacteria an external shell of peptidoglycan opposes internal hydrostatic pressure and prevents membrane rupture and death. At the same time, this wall imposes on each cell a shape. Because shape is both stable and heritable, as is the ability of many organisms to execute defined morphological transformations, cells must actively choose from among a large repertoire of available shapes. How they do so has been debated for decades, but recently experiment has begun to catch up with theory. Two discoveries are particularly informative. First, specific protein assemblies, nucleated by FtsZ, MreB or Mbl, appear to act as internal scaffolds that influence cell shape, perhaps by correctly localizing synthetic enzymes. Second, defects in cell shape are correlated with the presence of inappropriately placed, metabolically inert patches of peptidoglycan. When combined with what we know about mutants affecting cellular morphology, these observations suggest that bacteria may fabricate specific shapes by directing the synthesis of two kinds of cell wall: a long-lived, rigid framework that defines overall topology, and a metabolically plastic peptidoglycan whose shape is directed by internal scaffolds. IS - 3 JF - Molecular Microbiology SN - 1365-2958 AD - Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037, USA. EP - 580 TI - Bacterial shape VL - 49 SP - 571 KW - bacteria KW - cell KW - cell_shape KW - cellular_morphology KW - scaffolds AU - Young, Kevin PY - 2003/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03607.x ER -