Abstract
Until relatively recently, bacteria were thought to have little internal organization of note beyond that of the nucleoid, cell wall, and membranes. Although microtubule-like structures had been occasionally observed in a few species, there was no reason to think that bacteria had a cytoskeleton either, for there was no obvious structure to organize, and cell shape was determined by the rigid peptidoglycan cell wall. Finally, the small size of bacterial cells made it impossible to tell whether there was dynamic trafficking of the sort common in eukaryotic cells. Now, thanks to some bold experimentation and new technologies, it is well established that many bacterial cells harbor versions of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton, along with other cytoskeletal proteins that are unique to bacteria. Bacterial cytoskeletal proteins have roles in many key cellular processes, including DNA segregation, cell division, cell wall growth and shape, and organelle assembly.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call