Polar Exploration
The spatial organization of bacterial cells is quite complex with proteins and protein complexes localized to specific subcellular regions. However, the mechanisms by which asymmetric proteins are localized are mostly unresolved. A variety of mechanisms are utilized to achieve polarity in bacteria. This article focusses on recent findings that support specific mechanisms for the establishment of polarity in rod shaped bacteria.
Several models by which polarity is achieved have been proposed. These include direct localization of the protein to the cell pole, random insertion followed by diffusion and capture at the pole, targeting to the site of cell division before septation. Variation on these general themes appears to be the rule rather than the exception, resulting in a wide variety of different mechanisms to achieve a seemingly similar goal – the specific positioning of a protein or protein complex to the cell pole. The emerging theme is that there is no one mechanism that governs polarity.
Tags: Bacteria, Biology, Microbiology, Mycology, Science
