Key cellular processes, such as cell-shape determination, are poorly understood in archaea. Here, Schiller et al. study the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii, which forms rods and disks, and identify a diverse set of proteins important for these processes, including a new actin homolog that plays a role in the formation of disk-shaped cells.
- Heather Schiller
- Yirui Hong
- Mechthild Pohlschroder