Single-Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation, and Modeling

Single-Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation, and Modeling

Poster Abstracts

144

92-POS

Board 46

Investigation of Metabolic Regulation of Cell Growth and Division in Escherichia Coli

Chung Kang Wang

, Chung Hsien Hung

, Yu Ling Shih

1,2,3

Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan,

Institute of

Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan,

Department of

Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan.

6-Phosphofructokinase I (PFK I, encoded by

pfkA

) is a key enzyme of the glycolysis pathway

that catalyzes the irreversible conversion of fructose 6-phosphate to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate

thereby regulating the energy production in

Escherichia coli

. Interestingly, our recent study

suggested that membrane association of PFK I was regulated by the Min system, a protein

machine that mediates placement of the division septum at the midcell, through direct protein-

protein interaction. We therefore set out to investigate the role of PFK I in cell growth and

division by analyzing the wild-type,

ΔpfkA

and

Δpgi

cells cultured in the presence of different

carbon sources. The examined phenotypes include cell morphology and dimension, as well as

positioning of the FtsZ ring that plays a critical role in septal wall growth prior to cell division.

Our results showed strong correlations between PFK I and the cell size control. Meanwhile, we

found that oscillation of the Min system could be tuned by nutrient availability that controls the

energy status in cells. We are currently investigating the underlying mechanisms that mediate the

metabolic regulation of cell size, morphology, Min oscillation and the interplay between them.