Fig. 2: The FtsZ N-IDR is indispensable for assembling a functional Z-ring.

a Complementation results for FtsZ^ΔNIDR and FtsZ^D10F supporting ΔftsZ strain growth (contains the rescue plasmid pJSB100) where FtsZ^ΔNIDR, FtsZ^D10F, or FtsZ^WT (positive control) were constitutively expressed from a pTac plasmid. b Structure illuminated microscopy graphs showing cells expressing indicated FtsZ forms (each fused to mNeonGreen); scale bar = 2 μm. c Timelapse live-cell fluorescence micrographs merged with brightfield micrographs showing cells expressing indicated FtsZ forms (each fused to mNeonGreen) which were taken every 10 min and show three-dimensional (3D) FtsZ entities at correlated time points; scale bar = 2 μm; each axis of 3D bars represents 1 μm. d Scanning electron micrographs showing cells expressing indicated FtsZ forms; the three micrographs, taken for each cell form, putatively represent different moments in cell division; scale bar = 1 μm. e, f Fluorescence micrographs showing cells co-expressing indicated FtsZ forms (each fused to mScarlet) and FtsA-mNeonGreen (e) or mNeonGreen-FtsN (f); scale bar = 2 μm. g Fluorescence micrographs showing cells expressing indicated FtsZ forms (each fused to mNeonGreen) and incubated with HADA (a blue fluorescent D-Ala analog which labels newly synthesized peptidoglycans) for <10 s; scale bar = 2 μm. Overall cell shapes were drawn according to brightfield micrographs and are indicated by dotted white lines (b, e–g).