Part:BBa_K1011000

ftsZ gene from E. coli on pSB1C3

This is an E. coli ftsZ gene. FtsZ is a protein that polymerizes into the Z ring that is formed at the septum site during cellular division. The over expression of ftsZ will lead to non-specific septum sites at the polar ends, which result in the production of E. coli minicells.

As this picture illustrates, under normal WT conditions, FtsZ will form the Z ring at the middle of the cell. When overexpressed, FtsZ will polymerize non specifically at the polar ends of the cell, thereby cleaving the cell to form a minicell.

Function and Activity Regulation (CUHK-HongKong-SBS 2024)

The binding of ZapA facilitates the bundling of FtsZ polymers and suppresses the GTPase activity of FtsZ. The formation of the Z ring at the designated site for cell division represents the earliest recognized event in the process of cell division (1).

The regulation of this ring assembly is crucial for determining both the timing and the location of cell division. A primary role of the FtsZ ring is to attract additional cell division proteins to the septum, thereby aiding in the creation of a new cell wall between the cells that are dividing. FtsZ binds GTP and exhibits GTPase activity, while the polymerization and formation of bundles are further enhanced by the protein CbeA. However, the formation of the FtsZ ring is hindered by SulA, MinCD, DicB, and the toxins CbtA and CptA. The inhibitory effects of CbtA, SulA, or the overexpression of DicB can be counteracted by the protein CbeA, which enhances cytoskeleton bundling. Conversely, the inhibition caused by the toxin CptA is mitigated by the presence of the antitoxin CptB (2,3).

References

1. National Library of Medicine. (2024). ftsZ cell division protein FtsZ [Escherichia coli str. K-12 substr. MG1655] - Gene - NCBI. Nih.gov. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/944786

2. Masuda, H., Tan, Q., Awano, N., Yamaguchi, Y., & Inouye, M. (2012). A novel membrane-bound toxin for cell division, CptA (YgfX), inhibits polymerization of cytoskeleton proteins, FtsZ and MreB, in Escherichia coli. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 328(2), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2012.02496.x

3. Masuda, H., Tan, Q., Awano, N., Wu, K.-P., & Inouye, M. (2012). YeeU enhances the bundling of cytoskeletal polymers of MreB and FtsZ, antagonizing the CbtA (YeeV) toxicity in Escherichia coli. Molecular Microbiology, 84(5), 979–989. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.08068.x Sequence and Features

Assembly Compatibility:

• 10
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
• 12
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
• 21
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]
• 23
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
• 25
  INCOMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]

  Illegal AgeI site found at 322
  
• 1000
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]