End-in-Sight: Cell Polarization by the Polygamic Organizer PopZ.
Understanding how asymmetries in cellular constituents are achieved and how such positional information directs the construction of structures in a nonrandom fashion is a fundamental problem in cell biology. The recent identification of determinants that self-assemble into macromolecular complexes at the bacterial cell pole provides new insight into the underlying organizational principles in bacterial cells. Specifically, polarity studies in host-associated or free-living α-proteobacteria, a lineage of Gram-negative (diderm) bacteria, reveals that functional and cytological mono- and bipolarity is often conferred by the multivalent polar organizer PopZ, originally identified as a component of a polar chromosome anchor in the cell cycle model system Caulobacter crescentus. PopZ-dependent polarization appears to be widespread and also functional in obligate intracellular pathogens. Here, we discuss how PopZ polarization and the establishment of polar complexes occurs, and we detail the physiological roles of these complexes.
['Bergé|Matthieu|M|', 'Viollier|Patrick H|PH|']
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens D001426:Bacterial Proteins D016935:Caulobacter crescentus D002453:Cell Cycle D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins D016764:Cell Polarity D002503:Centromere D004269:DNA, Bacterial D004926:Escherichia coli D020560:Proteobacteria D012231:Rhizobium D012281:Rickettsia
polarity PopZ Caulobacter crescentus Agrobacterium tumefaciens Rickettsiae localization