TY - JOUR
T1 - SMC is recruited to oriC by ParB and promotes chromosome segregation in Streptococcus pneumoniae
AU - Minnen, Anita
AU - Attaiech, Laetitia
AU - Thon, Maria
AU - Gruber, Stephan
AU - Veening, Jan-Willem
N1 - © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
PY - 2011/8
Y1 - 2011/8
N2 - Segregation of replicated chromosomes is an essential process in all organisms. How bacteria, such as the oval-shaped human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, efficiently segregate their chromosomes is poorly understood. Here we show that the pneumococcal homologue of the DNA-binding protein ParB recruits S. pneumoniae condensin (SMC) to centromere-like DNA sequences (parS) that are located near the origin of replication, in a similar fashion as was shown for the rod-shaped model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. In contrast to B. subtilis, smc is not essential in S. pneumoniae, and Δsmc cells do not show an increased sensitivity to gyrase inhibitors or high temperatures. However, deletion of smc and/or parB results in a mild chromosome segregation defect. Our results show that S. pneumoniae contains a functional chromosome segregation machine that promotes efficient chromosome segregation by recruitment of SMC via ParB. Intriguingly, the data indicate that other, as of yet unknown mechanisms, are at play to ensure proper chromosome segregation in this organism.
AB - Segregation of replicated chromosomes is an essential process in all organisms. How bacteria, such as the oval-shaped human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, efficiently segregate their chromosomes is poorly understood. Here we show that the pneumococcal homologue of the DNA-binding protein ParB recruits S. pneumoniae condensin (SMC) to centromere-like DNA sequences (parS) that are located near the origin of replication, in a similar fashion as was shown for the rod-shaped model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. In contrast to B. subtilis, smc is not essential in S. pneumoniae, and Δsmc cells do not show an increased sensitivity to gyrase inhibitors or high temperatures. However, deletion of smc and/or parB results in a mild chromosome segregation defect. Our results show that S. pneumoniae contains a functional chromosome segregation machine that promotes efficient chromosome segregation by recruitment of SMC via ParB. Intriguingly, the data indicate that other, as of yet unknown mechanisms, are at play to ensure proper chromosome segregation in this organism.
KW - Bacterial Proteins/genetics
KW - Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics
KW - Chromosome Segregation
KW - Chromosomes, Bacterial/metabolism
KW - DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
KW - Gene Deletion
KW - Origin Recognition Complex
KW - Protein Binding
KW - Streptococcus pneumoniae/enzymology
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07722.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07722.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 21651626
VL - 81
SP - 676
EP - 688
JO - Molecular Microbiology
JF - Molecular Microbiology
SN - 0950-382X
IS - 3
ER -