BACKGROUNDIn prokaryotic organisms, the mechanism responsible for the accurate partition of newly replicated chromosomes into daughter cells is incompletely understood. Segregation of the replication terminus of the circular prokaryotic chromosome poses special problems that have not previously been addressed. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of several protein components (MreB, MreC, and MreD) of the prokaryotic cytoskeleton for the faithful transmission of the chromosomal terminus into daughter cells.

METHODSStrain LQ1 (mreB::cat), LQ2 (mreC::cat), and LQ3 (mreD::cat) were constructed using the Red recombination system. LQ11/pLAU53, LQ12/pLAU53, LQ13/pLAU53, LQ14/pLAU53, and LQ15/pLAU53 strains were generated by P1transduction of (tetO) 240 -Gm and (lacO) 240 -Km cassettes from strains IL2 and IL29. Fluorescence microscopy was performed to observe localization pattern of fluorescently-labeled origin and terminus foci in wild-type and mutant cells. SOS induction was monitored as gfp fluorescence from PsulA-gfp in log phase cells grown in Luria-Bertani medium at 37°C by measurement of emission at 525 nm with excitation at 470 nm in a microplate fluorescence reader.

RESULTSMutational deletion of the mreB, mreC, or mreD genes was associated with selective loss of the terminus region in approximately 40% of the cells within growing cultures. This was accompanied by significant induction of the SOS DNA damage response, suggesting that deletion of terminus sequences may have occurred by chromosomal cleavage, presumably caused by ingrowth of the division septum prior to segregation of the replicated terminal.

CONCLUSIONSThese results imply a role for the MreBCD cytoskeleton in the resolution of the final products of terminus replication and/or in the specific movement of newly replicated termini away from midcell prior to completion of septal ingrowth. This would identify a previously unrecognized stage in the overall process of chromosome segregation.