# Regulation of Cell Division

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $534,735

## Abstract

Abstract
Cell division in most bacteria is carried out by a conserved set of essential proteins. They can be divided into
those that appear absolutely essential and carry out core activities and those that appear to have been added
to the core for regulatory purposes and can be bypassed by overexpression of or mutation in a core
component. The core components in E. coli include the tubulin homologue FtsZ which assembles into
filaments that are tethered to the membrane by FtsA. FtsA serves as a hub that recruits the enzymes,
FtsW/FtsI, needed to make septal PG. In addition, to these core proteins the noncore proteins include
FtsE/FtsX which regulates divisome assembly and couples septal PG synthesis to PG hydrolysis, ZipA an
additional membrane tether for FtsZ, FtsK which plays a role in recruitment and DNA segregation, and FtsN
which triggers septation. FtsQ/FtsL/FtsB are highly conserved and form a complex involved in divisome
assembly and regulation. They are likely part of the core machinery as well. In this proposal, we will test our
model for cooperative assembly of FtsZ, further exploit FtsE/FtsX to gain further insight into its role in divisome
assembly and regulation. We will also take advantage of dominant negative mutations in essential cell genes
that were isolated by a novel screen to understand the changes in protein conformation that lead to changes in
protein interactions that regulate the divisome. We will also use the knowledge gained from studying cell
division to construct a minimal divisome.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10468664
- **Project number:** 5R01GM029764-37
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph F Lutkenhaus
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $534,735
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1981-07-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10468664

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10468664, Regulation of Cell Division (5R01GM029764-37). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10468664. Licensed CC0.

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