Protein that delays cell division in bacteria may lead to the identification of new antibiotics

Scientists at Washington University have worked out how two bacterial strains delay cell division when food is abundant, an understanding that might be used to design drugs that stop division entirely.

In a rapidly dividing chain of bacterial cells (top), constriction rings that will pinch the cells in two appear in red. The red doughnut to the bottom right of the image is a constriction ring seen head on rather than from the side. In the middle, an image of the constriction rings (red) has been overlaid on one of the cell walls (green), The bottom image shows the constriction rings (red) and the bacterial DNA (blue). Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are learning exactly how the bacteria control the assembly of the constriction rings and thus the timing of cell division. 

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Protein that delays cell division in bacteria may lead to the identification of new antibiotics

Source: Washington University in St. Louis
Image credit: Levin lab


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