Inhibiting cell division in Escherichia coli has little if any effect on gene expression

Abstract

DNA microarrays were used to compare gene expression in dividing and nondividing (filamentous) cultures of Escherichia coli. Although cells from these cultures differed profoundly in morphology, their gene expression profiles were nearly identical. These results extend previous evidence that there is no division checkpoint in E. coli, and progression through the cell cycle is not regulated by the transcription of different genes during different parts of the cell cycle.

FIG. 1.

Recruitment of proteins to the septal ring of E. coli. Assembly of the septal ring starts with formation of the FtsZ ring at the midcell. The remaining proteins are then recruited in the order indicated, with AmiC being the last. Proteins targeted for inhibition in this study are boxed.

FIG. 2.

Effect of aztreonam (A) and sulA induction (B) on growth and division. Insets show phase contrast micrographs of untreated and treated cells. Cultures were maintained in exponential growth by dilution at the time indicated. OD₆₀₀ values were adjusted to account for this dilution and are therefore plotted as a continuous growth curve.