Skin and bones: the bacterial cytoskeleton, cell wall, and cell morphogenesis

Matthew T Cabeen; Christine Jacobs-Wagner

doi:10.1083/jcb.200708001

Skin and bones: the bacterial cytoskeleton, cell wall, and cell morphogenesis

J Cell Biol. 2007 Nov 5;179(3):381-7. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200708001. Epub 2007 Oct 29.

Authors

Matthew T Cabeen¹, Christine Jacobs-Wagner

Affiliation

¹ Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.

Abstract

The bacterial world is full of varying cell shapes and sizes, and individual species perpetuate a defined morphology generation after generation. We review recent findings and ideas about how bacteria use the cytoskeleton and other strategies to regulate cell growth in time and space to produce different shapes and sizes.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena
Bacterial Proteins / physiology
Cell Biology
Cell Shape
Cell Wall / physiology*
Cytoskeletal Proteins / physiology
Cytoskeleton / physiology*
Escherichia coli / metabolism
Humans
Models, Biological
Morphogenesis
Pressure
Skin / microbiology*
Skin Physiological Phenomena

Substances

Bacterial Proteins
Cytoskeletal Proteins
FtsZ protein, Bacteria