Cellular mechanics during division of a genomically minimal cell

James F Pelletier; John I Glass; Elizabeth A Strychalski

doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2022.06.009

Cellular mechanics during division of a genomically minimal cell

Trends Cell Biol. 2022 Nov;32(11):900-907. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.06.009. Epub 2022 Jul 27.

Authors

James F Pelletier¹, John I Glass², Elizabeth A Strychalski³

Affiliations

¹ Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
² J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
³ National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. Electronic address: elizabeth.strychalski@nist.gov.

PMID: 35907702
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.06.009

Abstract

Genomically minimal cells, such as JCVI-syn3.0 and JCVI-syn3A, offer an empowering framework to study relationships between genotype and phenotype. With a polygenic basis, the fundamental physiological process of cell division depends on multiple genes of known and unknown function in JCVI-syn3A. A physical description of cellular mechanics can further understanding of the contributions of genes to cell division in this genomically minimal context. We review current knowledge on genes in JCVI-syn3A contributing to two physical parameters relevant to cell division, namely, the surface-area-to-volume ratio and membrane curvature. This physical view of JCVI-syn3A may inform the attribution of gene functions and conserved processes in bacterial physiology, as well as whole-cell models and the engineering of synthetic cells.

Keywords: FtsZ; biophysics; cell division; liposome; membrane; minimal cell.

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Bacterial Proteins* / metabolism
Cell Division / genetics

Substances

Bacterial Proteins