Rewiring the Pneumococcal Cell Cycle with Serine/Threonine- and Tyrosine-kinases: Review Article

• Autores: Christophe Grangeasse
• Localización: Trends in microbiology, ISSN 0966-842X, Vol. 24, Nº. 9, 2016, págs. 713-724
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Over the past decade, Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) has gained prominence as a model for studying the bacterial cell cycle. This important human pathogen possesses a characteristic diplo-ovococcal cell shape and produces a protective polysaccharide capsule required for virulence, and it has been used to investigate natural genetic transformation. Recent advances have demonstrated that the pneumococcus has evolved phosphorylation-dependent regulatory mechanisms dedicated to controlling cell division and ensuring the concealment of the newborn cells by the capsule. In this review, I survey the role of the only two serine/threonine- (StkP) and tyrosine-kinases (CpsD) of the pneumococcus and discuss the existence of interconnected phosphorylation networks coordinating cell division and morphogenesis with key aspects of the cell cycle.