Cell division in magnetotactic bacteria splits magnetosome chain in half

✍ Scribed by Sarah S. Staniland; Cristina Moisescu; Liane G. Benning

• Book ID: 102909920
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 595 KB
• Volume: 50
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0233-111X
• DOI: 10.1002/jobm.200900408

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Cell division in magnetotactic bacteria has attracted much interest, speculation and hypothesis with respect to the biomineralised chains of magnetic iron‐oxide particles known as magnetosomes. Here we report direct Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) evidence that division occurs at a central point of the cell and the chain, cleaving the magnetosome chain in two. Additionally, the new magnetosome chain relocates rapidly to the centre of the daughter cell and the number of magnetosomes is directly proportional to the cell length, even during the division part of the cell cycle. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)