衣藻CrFtsZ2-GFP融合蛋白在E.coli中的表达及其定位

FtsZ蛋白在细菌的分裂中担任着重要作用 ,能够在分裂位点形成一个环状结构而控制细菌的分裂过程。胞内FtsZ蛋白浓度的异常升高或降低均可阻断正常的细胞分裂过程进而形成分裂异常的丝状菌体。为了研究衣藻FtsZ蛋白的生物学活性 ,构建了衣藻CrFtsZ2cDNA全长与绿色荧光蛋白基因egfp的融合表达质粒 ,并对其在大肠杆菌中的表达与定位做了初步分析。在大肠杆菌JM10 9中 ,融合表达质粒的过量表达导致宿主菌形成了丝状菌体 ,通过荧光显微镜观察发现CrFtsZ2 EGFP融合蛋白沿着宿主菌体的纵轴方向有规律地聚集成荧光点或荧光带 ,暗示衣藻CrFtsZ2蛋白能够识别宿主菌内分裂位点的定位信号并参与其细胞分裂过程 ,初步验证了衣藻CrFtsZ2蛋白的功能。     

钝顶螺旋藻FtsZ在大肠杆菌中的表达和定位北大核心CSCD

FtsZ是与真核微管蛋白类似的原核骨架蛋白,能在细胞分裂位点聚合组装成环状结构而调控细胞分裂过程。为了研究钝顶螺旋藻(Spirulina platensis)FtsZ蛋白的功能,构建了钝顶螺旋藻FtsZ与绿色荧光蛋白GFP融合表达的质粒,并在大肠杆菌中进行了表达和定位研究,结果发现,表达融合蛋白GFP-FtsZ的大肠杆菌细胞由短杆状变为长丝状,且菌丝体长度与融合蛋白的表达量呈正比。在荧光显微镜下观察到融合蛋白GFP-FtsZ在长丝状体细菌中呈有规律的点状分布,这说明FtsZ蛋白功能高度保守,钝顶螺旋藻FtsZ蛋白能识别大肠杆菌分裂位点并装配成环状结构调控大肠杆菌细胞分裂,FtsZ蛋白的过量表达能抑制大肠杆菌正常的细胞分裂而导致长丝状体细胞的形成。     

钝顶螺旋藻FtsZ在大肠杆菌中的表达和定位

FtsZ是与真核微管蛋白类似的原核骨架蛋白,能在细胞分裂位点聚合组装成环状结构而调控细胞分裂过程。为了研究钝顶螺旋藻（Spirulina platensis）FtsZ蛋白的功能,构建了钝顶螺旋藻FtsZ与绿色荧光蛋白GFP融合表达的质粒,并在大肠杆菌中进行了表达和定位研究,结果发现,表达融合蛋白GFP-FtsZ的大肠杆菌细胞由短杆状变为长丝状,且菌丝体长度与融合蛋白的表达量呈正比。在荧光显微镜下观察到融合蛋白GFP-FtsZ在长丝状体细菌中呈有规律的点状分布,这说明FtsZ蛋白功能高度保守,钝顶螺旋藻FtsZ蛋白能识别大肠杆菌分裂位点并装配成环状结构调控大肠杆菌细胞分裂,FtsZ蛋白的过量表达能抑制大肠杆菌正常的细胞分裂而导致长丝状体细胞的形成。     

衣藻叶绿体分裂基因CrFtsZ1在E.coli中的表达

FtsZ蛋白在细菌的分裂中起着重要作用,能够在分裂位点形成一个环状结构而控制细菌的分裂过程。细胞内FtsZ蛋白浓度的明显降低或异常升高均可阻断正常的细胞分裂过程进而导致丝状菌体的产生。为了研究衣藻叶绿体分裂基因ftsZ的功能,构建了衣藻CrFtsZ1的原核表达重组质粒。试验结果表明,衣藻ftsZ的表达严重影响了大肠杆菌的分裂,初步证明衣藻FtsZ蛋白不仅与E．coli FtsZ蛋白在序列上相似,而且也有着相似的功能,同时这一结果也为真核细胞中质体的内共生起源提供了直接的证据。     

烟草质体分裂蛋白NtFtsZs在大肠杆菌中的定位分析

分别构建了两个烟草 (NicotianatabacumL .)质体分裂基因NtFtsZ1和NtFtsZ2与编码绿色荧光蛋白的gfpS65A、V68L、S72A基因相融合的原核表达载体 ,并导入大肠杆菌 (Escherichiacoli)JM10 9菌株中进行表达。全长NtFtsZs∶GFP融合蛋白在菌体中有规律地定位 ,暗示NtFtsZs能识别大肠杆菌潜在的分裂位点 ,并能与大肠杆菌的内源FtsZ发生聚合作用 ;融合蛋白的诱导表达抑制了宿主菌的分裂 ,形成了明显的丝状菌体 ,证明真核生物的ftsZ基因与大肠杆菌的ftsZ基因有相似的作用。同时构建了NtFtsZs不同缺失的原核表达载体 ,对这两个基因所编码蛋白不同结构域的功能做了初步分析。实验结果表明 ,烟草FtsZ蛋白的C端结构域与其在大肠杆菌细胞中的正确定位有关 ;而N端结构域与NtFtsZs∶GFP融合蛋白的聚合有关。     

烟草质体分裂蛋白NtFtsZs在大肠杆菌中的定位分析

分别构建了两个烟草(Nicotiana tabacum L.)质体分裂基因NtFtsZ1和NtFtsZ2与编码绿色荧光蛋白的gfpS65A、V68L、S72A基因相融合的原核表达载体,并导入大肠杆菌( Escherichia coli ) JM109菌株中进行表达.全长NtFtsZs∶GFP融合蛋白在菌体中有规律地定位,暗示NtFtsZs能识别大肠杆菌潜在的分裂位点,并能与大肠杆菌的内源FtsZ发生聚合作用;融合蛋白的诱导表达抑制了宿主菌的分裂,形成了明显的丝状菌体,证明真核生物的 ftsZ 基因与大肠杆菌的 ftsZ 基因有相似的作用.同时构建了NtFtsZs不同缺失的原核表达载体,对这两个基因所编码蛋白不同结构域的功能做了初步分析.实验结果表明,烟草FtsZ蛋白的C端结构域与其在大肠杆菌细胞中的正确定位有关;而N端结构域与NtFtsZs∶GFP融合蛋白的聚合有关.     

衣藻叶绿体分裂相关基因CrFtsZ3的克隆及其原核表达

FtsZ蛋白在原核细胞以及植物细胞叶绿体的分裂过程中发挥着重要作用。为了研究叶绿体分裂装置的进化 ,运用RT PCR方法从莱茵衣藻中克隆了叶绿体分裂相关基因CrFtsZ3。由于已经从衣藻细胞中克隆了一个ftsZ基因 ,所以CrFtsZ3的克隆表明衣藻中已经存在两类不同的 ftsZ基因 ,这说明 ftsZ基因的复制与分歧发生于绿藻的分化之前。序列分析结果显示 ,CrFtsZ3所编码的蛋白质具有FtsZ蛋白的典型模体。进一步的原核表达与定位分析表明CrFtsZ3 GFP融合蛋白沿着宿主菌体的纵轴方向有规律地聚集成荧光点或荧光带 ,并且CrFtsZ3蛋白过量表达明显干挠了宿主菌正常的细胞分裂过程 ,说明衣藻CrFtsZ3蛋白能够识别宿主细胞内的分裂位点并影响细胞分裂过程 ,从而初步验证了它的生物学功能     

木薯ftsZ基因分离及在原核生物中功能初步鉴定

ftsZ基因是控制细胞分裂的关键基因,其蛋白能够在分裂位点形成一个环状结构而影响细胞分裂.为了研究木薯质体分裂与木薯淀粉品质形成的关系,根据木薯基因组数据库上的预测序列,设计引物,从木薯基因组中分离了与质体分裂相关的ftsZ家族3个新基因(ftsZ1,ftsZ2,ftsZ3).分别将它们与荧光蛋白基因(GFP)融合,构建了3个原核表达载体pET-fisZ1-GFP、pET-fisZ2-GFP、pET-fisZ3-GFP,并转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3).通过荧光显微镜观察菌体的表型和分裂,初步鉴定了木薯质体分裂相关基因ftsZ家族对细胞分裂的作用.结果显示:尽管木薯与大肠杆菌的亲缘关系较远,ftsZ基因的同源性较低,但是两者表现出相似的功能,木薯ftsZ基因的表达能严重影响大肠杆菌细胞分裂.这一结果为进一步研究木薯ftsZ家族基因的功能奠定了基础.     

原核细胞骨架蛋白的结构与功能

长期以来,人们认为细胞骨架仅为真核生物所特有的结构,但近年来的研究发现它也存在于细菌等原核生物中。目前已经在细菌中发现的FtsZ、MreB和CreS依次与真核细胞骨架蛋白中的微管蛋白、肌动蛋白丝及中间丝类似。FtsZ能在细胞分裂位点装配形成Z环结构,并通过该结构参与细胞分裂的调控;MreB能形成螺旋丝状结构,其主要功能有维持细胞形态、调控染色体分离等;CreS存在于新月柄杆菌中,它在细胞凹面的细胞膜下面形成弯曲丝状或螺旋丝状结构,该结构对维持新月柄杆菌细胞的形态具有重要作用。     

棒状杆菌2，5-DKG还原酶基因在欧文氏菌中的表达

将能够在大肠杆菌内高效表达棒状杆菌2,5-DKG还原酶I基因的质粒pBL4改造成为具有链霉素抗性的质粒pBLS,采用改进的感受态转化法将pBLS导入能够利用葡萄糖高产2,5-DKG的欧文氏菌SCB125中,通过提高温度诱导,经SDS-PAGE分析2,5-DKG还原酶I获得了高效表达,占菌体总蛋白的22%,不形成包涵体。体外酶活测定结果表明表达的酶具有较高的活力。同时,通过凝胶活力染色发现了宿主欧文氏菌SCB125中存在一个活力较强的2-酮基醛糖还原酶。     

烟草NtFtsZ2-1基因参与叶绿体分裂和扩大的调节

叶绿体虽然是植物细胞内一种极其重要的细胞器,但其分裂的分子机制尚不很清楚。已经证明FtsZ蛋白作为真核细胞分裂装置的一个关键成分,参与叶绿体的分裂过程。烟草的FtsZ基因属于2个不同的家族,在对NtFtsZ1家族成员研究的基础上,用正义和反义表达技术研究了NtFtsZ2家族成员NtFtsZ2-1基因在转基因烟草中的功能。显微分析结果表明NtFtsZ2-1基因的表达水平异常增强或减弱都会严重干扰叶绿体的正常分裂过程,导致叶绿体在形态和数目上的异常（体积明显增大,数目显著减少）,而单个叶肉细胞中叶绿体的总表面积在正反义转基因烟草和野生型烟草之间保持了相对稳定,没有发生明显的变化。同时还证明NtFtsZ2-1基因表达的变化对叶绿素含量和叶绿体的光合作用能力没有直接的影响。据此我们认为NtFtsZ2-1基因参与叶绿体的分裂和体积的扩大,其表达水平的波动会改变植物中叶绿体的数目和大小,而且在叶绿体的数目与体积之间可能存在一种补偿机制,保证叶绿体能最大限度地吸收光能,从而使光合作用得以正常进行。     

FtsZ ring formation at the chloroplast division site in plants

Among the events that accompanied the evolution of chloroplasts from their endosymbiotic ancestors was the host cell recruitment of the prokaryotic cell division protein FtsZ to function in chloroplast division. FtsZ, a structural homologue of tubulin, mediates cell division in bacteria by assembling into a ring at the midcell division site. In higher plants, two nuclear-encoded forms of FtsZ, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2, play essential and functionally distinct roles in chloroplast division, but whether this involves ring formation at the division site has not been determined previously. Using immunofluorescence microscopy and expression of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana, we demonstrate here that FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 localize to coaligned rings at the chloroplast midpoint. Antibodies specific for recognition of FtsZ1 or FtsZ2 proteins in Arabidopsis also recognize related polypeptides and detect midplastid rings in pea and tobacco, suggesting that midplastid ring formation by FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 is universal among flowering plants. Perturbation in the level of either protein in transgenic plants is accompanied by plastid division defects and assembly of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 into filaments and filament networks not observed in wild-type, suggesting that previously described FtsZ-containing cytoskeletal-like networks in chloroplasts may be artifacts of FtsZ overexpression.     

Cell division genes and proteins in bacterial cells

In this review, genes and proteins involved in cytokinesis and cell proliferation of cell-wall bacteria and mycoplasms are considered. We hope that this comparative analysis of genes and proteins of phylogenetically distant bacteria, including the minimal cells of mycoplasmas, can be useful for understanding the basic principles of prokaryotic cell division. The ftsZ gene was found among representatives of all bacterial groups. The recent data indicate that FtsZ protein plays the central role in the process of bacterial cell division. FtsZ protein was revealed in all Eubacterial groups (including mycoplasmas), in Archaebacteria and chloroplasts, All FtsZ proteins are able to form protofilaments as a result of polymerization in vitro and demonstrate GTF-ase activity. On the base of these properties and some similarities in amino acid sequences with tubulins, it has been suggested that FtsZ protein is an evolutionary ancestor of Eukaryotic tubulins. On the earliest stage of bacterial cytokinesis FtsZ protein assembles into a submembranous Z-ring which encircles bacterial cell in the predivisional site. Some other bacterial proteins take part in stabilization and contraction of the Z-ring, which is considered as a cytoskeleton-like bacterial structure.     

ARC6 is a J-domain plastid division protein and an evolutionary descendant of the cyanobacterial cell division protein Ftn2

Replication of chloroplasts is essential for achieving and maintaining optimal plastid numbers in plant cells. The plastid division machinery contains components of both endosymbiotic and host cell origin, but little is known about the regulation and molecular mechanisms that govern the division process. The Arabidopsis mutant arc6 is defective in plastid division, and its leaf mesophyll cells contain only one or two grossly enlarged chloroplasts. We show here that arc6 chloroplasts also exhibit abnormal localization of the key plastid division proteins FtsZ1 and FtsZ2. Whereas in wild-type plants, the FtsZ proteins assemble into a ring at the plastid division site, chloroplasts in the arc6 mutant contain numerous short, disorganized FtsZ filament fragments. We identified the mutation in arc6 and show that the ARC6 gene encodes a chloroplast-targeted DnaJ-like protein localized to the plastid envelope membrane. An ARC6-green fluorescent protein fusion protein was localized to a ring at the center of the chloroplasts and rescued the chloroplast division defect in the arc6 mutant. The ARC6 gene product is related closely to Ftn2, a prokaryotic cell division protein unique to cyanobacteria. Based on the FtsZ filament morphology observed in the arc6 mutant and in plants that overexpress ARC6, we hypothesize that ARC6 functions in the assembly and/or stabilization of the plastid-dividing FtsZ ring. We also analyzed FtsZ localization patterns in transgenic plants in which plastid division was blocked by altered expression of the division site-determining factor AtMinD. Our results indicate that MinD and ARC6 act in opposite directions: ARC6 promotes and MinD inhibits FtsZ filament formation in the chloroplast.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpX Interacts with FtsZ and Interferes with FtsZ Assembly

FtsZ assembly at the midcell division site in the form of a Z-ring is crucial for initiation of the cell division process in eubacteria. It is largely unknown how this process is regulated in the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Here we show that the expression of clpX was upregulated upon macrophage infection and exposure to cephalexin antibiotic, the conditions where FtsZ-ring assembly is delayed. Independently, we show using pull-down, solid-phase binding, bacterial two-hybrid and mycobacterial protein fragment complementation assays, that M. tuberculosis FtsZ interacts with ClpX, the substrate recognition domain of the ClpXP protease. Incubation of FtsZ with ClpX increased the critical concentration of GTP-dependent polymerization of FtsZ. Immunoblotting revealed that the intracellular ratio of ClpX to FtsZ in wild type M. tuberculosis is approximately 1∶2. Overproduction of ClpX increased cell length and modulated the localization of FtsZ at midcell sites; however, intracellular FtsZ levels were unaffected. A ClpX-CFP fusion protein localized to the cell poles and midcell sites and colocalized with the FtsZ-YFP protein. ClpX also interacted with FtsZ mutant proteins defective for binding to and hydrolyzing GTP and possibly for interactions with other proteins. Taken together, our results suggest that M. tuberculosis ClpX interacts stoichiometrically with FtsZ protomers, independent of its nucleotide-bound state and negatively regulates FtsZ activities, hence cell division.     

Recruitment of ZipA to the division site by interaction with FtsZ

ZipA is an essential cell division protein in Escherichia coli that is recruited to the division site early in the division cycle. As it is anchored to the membrane and interacts with FtsZ, it is a candidate for tethering FtsZ filaments to the membrane during the formation of the Z ring. In this study, we have investigated the requirements for ZipA localization to the division site. ZipA requires FtsZ, but not FtsA or FtsI, to be localized, indicating that it is recruited by FtsZ. Consistent with this, apparently normal Z rings are formed in the absence of ZipA. The interaction between FtsZ and ZipA occurs through their carboxy-terminal domains. Although a MalE-ZipA fusion binds to FtsZ filaments, it does not affect the GTPase activity or dynamics of the filaments. These results are consistent with ZipA acting after Z ring formation, possibly to link the membrane to FtsZ filaments during invagination of the septum.     

A new assembly pathway for the cytokinetic Z ring from a dynamic helical structure in vegetatively growing cells of Bacillus subtilis

The earliest event in bacterial cell division is the formation of a Z ring, composed of the tubulin-like FtsZ protein, at the division site at midcell. This ring then recruits several other division proteins and together they drive the formation of a division septum between two replicated chromosomes. Here we show that, in addition to forming a cytokinetic ring, FtsZ localizes in a helical-like pattern in vegetatively growing cells of Bacillus subtilis. FtsZ moves rapidly within this helix-like structure. Examination of FtsZ localization in individual live cells undergoing a single cell cycle suggests a new assembly mechanism for Z ring formation that involves a cell cycle-mediated multistep remodelling of FtsZ polymers. Our observations suggest that initially FtsZ localizes in a helical pattern, with movement of FtsZ within this structure occurring along the entire length of the cell. Next, movement of FtsZ in a helical-like pattern is restricted to a central region of the cell. Finally the FtsZ ring forms precisely at midcell. We further show that another division protein, FtsA, shown to interact with FtsZ prior to Z ring formation in B. subtilis, also localizes to similar helical patterns in vegetatively growing cells.