Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Highlight
  • Published:

Cell Polarity

Sticky poles

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 6, page 795 (2008)Cite this article

Both groups identified the popZ gene in a screen for polarity factors, and showed that cells that lack or overexpress PopZ have a cell division defect. Fluorescently tagged PopZ localizes to the existing 'old' cell pole and later also accumulates at the newly formed pole following replication initiation. The bipolar localization exists until the cell divides and yields daughter cells with PopZ at the old cell pole. This localization pattern resembles that of chromosome origins in complex with the DNA-partitioning protein ParB, which suggests that the origin–ParB complex might be anchored to the cell pole through PopZ.

Indeed, a popZ-deletion strain lacked ParB foci at the cell poles and showed dynamic movement of ParB foci in the cells. Time-lapse microscopy studies by Jacobs-Wagner and colleagues indicated that the induction of PopZ expression led to the gradual polar localization of PopZ; this was followed by continuous movement of ParB until it was eventually retained at the cell poles. These observations imply that polar anchoring occurs by a diffusion–capture mechanism, which the Shapiro group showed for single molecules of PopZ using high-speed video microscopy. Both groups further demonstrated, by electron microscopy or cryo-electron microscopy, that PopZ self-associates into multimeric structures.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

  1. Bowman, G. R. et al. A polymeric protein anchors the chromosomal origin/ParB complex at a bacterial cell pole. Cell 134, 945–955 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ebersbach, G. et al. A self-associating protein critical for chromosome attachment, division, and polar organization in Caulobacter. Cell 134, 956–968 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chief Editor, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology,

    Arianne Heinrichs

Authors
  1. Arianne Heinrichs
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heinrichs, A. Sticky poles. Nat Rev Microbiol 6, 795 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2022

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2022

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing