Elongasome

A protein complex that catalyzes peptidoglycan biosynthesis and is thereby involved in maintaining cell shape

Complex members

• cell wall biosynthetic enzymes at the outer side of the membrane: penicillin-binding proteins (PbpA, PbpH, perhaps also PbpC, DacC, PbpI)
• transmembrane proteins: MreC, MreD, RodA, RodZ, they couple the cytosolic actin-like proteins to the extracellular peptidoglycan-synthesizing machinery
• actin-like proteins at the inner surface of the membrane: MreB, MreBH, Mbl, the polymers control/restrict the mobility of the cell wall elongation enzyme complex

Related pages

• penicillin-binding proteins
• cell shape
• cell wall synthesis
• Cell wall synthesis in SubtiPathways

Labs working on the complex

• Rut Carballido-Lopez, Jouy-en-Josas
• Jeff Errington, Newcastle upon Tyne
• David Rudner, New York

Important publications

Orietta Massidda, Linda Nováková, Waldemar Vollmer
From models to pathogens: how much have we learned about Streptococcus pneumoniae cell division?
Environ Microbiol: 2013, 15(12);3133-57
[PubMed:23848140] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Andrew Jermy
Bacterial physiology: MreB takes a back seat.
Nat Rev Microbiol: 2011, 9(8);560-1
[PubMed:21725336] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Ethan C Garner, Remi Bernard, Wenqin Wang, Xiaowei Zhuang, David Z Rudner, Tim Mitchison
Coupled, circumferential motions of the cell wall synthesis machinery and MreB filaments in B. subtilis.
Science: 2011, 333(6039);222-5
[PubMed:21636745] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Julia Domínguez-Escobar, Arnaud Chastanet, Alvaro H Crevenna, Vincent Fromion, Roland Wedlich-Söldner, Rut Carballido-López
Processive movement of MreB-associated cell wall biosynthetic complexes in bacteria.
Science: 2011, 333(6039);225-8
[PubMed:21636744] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)