Bacterial Division Research Articles

Interactions Screenings Unearth Potential New Divisome Components in the Chlamydia-Related Bacterium, Waddlia chondrophila

Chlamydiales order members are obligate intracellular bacteria, dividing by binary fission. However, Chlamydiales lack the otherwise conserved homologue of the bacterial division organizer FtsZ and certain division protein homologues. FtsZ might be functionally replaced in Chlamydiales by the actin homologue MreB. RodZ, the membrane anchor of MreB, localizes early at the division septum. In order to better characterize the organization of the chlamydial divisome, we performed co-immunoprecipitations and yeast-two hybrid assays to study the interactome of RodZ, using Waddlia chondrophila, a potentially pathogenic Chlamydia-related bacterium, as a model organism. Three potential interactors were further investigated: SecA, FtsH, and SufD. The gene and protein expression profiles of these three genes were measured and are comparable with recently described division proteins. Moreover, SecA, FtsH, and SufD all showed a peripheral localization, consistent with putative inner membrane localization and interaction with RodZ. Notably, heterologous overexpression of the abovementioned proteins could not complement E. coli mutants, indicating that these proteins might play different functions in these two bacteria or that important regulators are not conserved. Altogether, this study brings new insights to the composition of the chlamydial divisome and points to links between protein secretion, degradation, iron homeostasis, and chlamydial division.

De novo synthesized Min proteins drive oscillatory liposome deformation and regulate FtsA-FtsZ cytoskeletal patterns

The Min biochemical network regulates bacterial cell division and is a prototypical example of self-organizing molecular systems. Cell-free assays relying on purified proteins have shown that MinE and MinD self-organize into surface waves and oscillatory patterns. In the context of developing a synthetic cell from elementary biological modules, harnessing Min oscillations might allow us to implement higher-order cellular functions. To convey hereditary information, the Min system must be encoded in a DNA molecule that can be copied, transcribed, and translated. Here, the MinD and MinE proteins are synthesized de novo from their genes inside liposomes. Dynamic protein patterns and accompanying liposome shape deformation are observed. When integrated with the cytoskeletal proteins FtsA and FtsZ, the synthetic Min system is able to dynamically regulate FtsZ patterns. By enabling genetic control over Min protein self-organization and membrane remodeling, our methodology offers unique opportunities towards directed evolution of bacterial division processes in vitro.

2136. Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing using ATP Luminescence and Machine Learning Methods

BackgroundTo prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, a rapid and accurate antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) is necessary. Recently, morphokinetic microscopy approaches have been reported as a rapid AST method. However, these still require several hours to obtain a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) luminescence has also been reported as a rapid AST method that can detect bacterial growth more rapidly than morphokinetic approaches, since ATP in bacteria increases prior to bacterial division. In this study, we designed a new machine learning-based algorithm that predicts MIC rapidly, using a dataset that contains ATP luminescence patterns and conventional MICs determined by turbidity. Essential agreement (EA) rates between rapid and conventional MIC were then evaluated.MethodsSixty-three strains of E. coli (ATCC 25922 and clinical isolates from Toyama University Hospital) were tested. Bacterial suspensions were diluted 500-fold in Mueller–Hinton broth from 0.5 McF solutions, and the final concentration of bacteria was 3×105 CFU/mL. The suspensions were dispensed into a 96-well microplate, which had 12 antimicrobials in two-fold dilution series, and the microplate was incubated at 35°C. At each measurement time point, the amount of ATP in a 10 μL aliquot from each well was evaluated by our original measurement system, which can sensitively detect ATP luminescence equivalent to a single bacterium. After 22 hours, MIC was determined conventionally by measuring turbidity. A rapid MIC for each bacterium was estimated by the algorithm based on the dataset consisting of the rest of the 62 strains (leave-one-out cross validation).ResultsTable 1 shows the EA rate for the 12 antimicrobials; EA rates > 90% were achieved for 7 antimicrobials in 2 hours and for 12 antimicrobials in 3 hours. In 6 hours, an average EA rate > 97% was achieved.ConclusionUsing the dataset, our new machine learning-based algorithm predicted MIC rapidly within 2 hours with an EA rate > 90% for 7 antimicrobials. The rapid AST detected by the ATP luminescence method will contribute toward both appropriate antimicrobial treatment and reduction in medication and admission charges. In the future, other species of bacteria will be evaluated by our ATP method. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Reversible Membrane Tethering by ZipA Determines FtsZ Polymerization in Two and Three Dimensions.

In most bacteria, the early step of septum formation implies the association of soluble FtsZ polymers with the cytoplasmic membrane. ZipA, together with FtsA, provides membrane tethering to FtsZ in Escherichia coli, forming a dynamic proto-ring that serves as an assembly scaffold for the remaining elements of the divisome. Despite their importance for bacterial cell division, multivalent interactions between proto-ring elements at membrane surfaces remain poorly characterized in quantitative terms. We measured the binding of FtsZ to ZipA incorporated in supported lipid bilayers at controlled densities by using a combination of biophysical surface-sensitive techniques (quartz crystal microbalance and spectroscopic ellipsometry) and analyzed how ZipA density and FtsZ concentration control the state of assembly of FtsZ. We found that ZipA attachment enables FtsZ-GMPCPP (where GMPCPP is a GTP analogue with a reduced level of hydrolysis) to assemble in several distinct ways: (i) two-dimensional polymerization at the membrane and (ii) three-dimensional polymerization from the membrane into the solution phase where this may be associated with the formation of higher-order complexes. In these processes, ZipA is required to enrich FtsZ at the surface but the FtsZ bulk concentration defines which morphology is being formed. Moreover, we report a strong effect of the nucleotide (GDP vs GMPCPP/GTP) on the kinetics of ZipA association/dissociation of FtsZ. These results provide insights into the mode of interaction of proto-ring elements in minimal membrane systems and contribute to the completion of our understanding of the initial events of bacterial division.

A SpoIID Homolog Cleaves Glycan Strands at the Chlamydial Division Septum.

Chlamydiales species are obligate intracellular bacteria lacking a classical peptidoglycan sacculus but relying on peptidoglycan synthesis for cytokinesis. While septal peptidoglycan biosynthesis seems to be regulated by MreB actin and its membrane anchor RodZ rather than FtsZ tubulin in Chlamydiales, the mechanism of peptidoglycan remodeling is poorly understood. An amidase conserved in Chlamydiales is able to cleave peptide stems in peptidoglycan, but it is not clear how peptidoglycan glycan strands are cleaved since no classical lytic transglycosylase is encoded in chlamydial genomes. However, a protein containing a SpoIID domain, known to possess transglycosylase activity in Bacillus subtilis, is conserved in Chlamydiales We show here that the SpoIID homologue of the Chlamydia-related pathogen Waddlia chondrophila is a septal peptidoglycan-binding protein. Moreover, we demonstrate that SpoIID acts as a lytic transglycosylase on peptidoglycan and as a muramidase on denuded glycan strands in vitro As SpoIID-like proteins are widespread in nonsporulating bacteria, SpoIID might commonly be a septal peptidoglycan remodeling protein in bacteria, including obligate intracellular pathogens, and thus might represent a promising drug target.IMPORTANCEChlamydiales species are obligate intracellular bacteria and important human pathogens that have a minimal division machinery lacking the proteins that are essential for bacterial division in other species, such as FtsZ. Chlamydial division requires synthesis of peptidoglycan, which forms a ring at the division septum and is rapidly turned over. However, little is known of peptidoglycan degradation, because many peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes are not encoded by chlamydial genomes. Here we show that an homologue of SpoIID, a peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme involved in sporulation of bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, is expressed in Chlamydiales, localizes at the division septum, and degrades peptidoglycan in vitro, indicating that SpoIID is not only involved in sporulation but also likely implicated in division of some bacteria.

Role of bacterial minicells in cancer therapy

Cancer is one of the most important diseases threatening human health. Frequently-used traditional cancer treatment methods, like radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery, have serious toxic side effects and limitations. The widely-used drug delivery carriers (liposomes, nanoparticles, etc.) have also possessed many issues such as drug leakage and incomplete loading in the late clinical stage. Currently, using tumor-targeting vectors to deliver anti-tumor drugs or small molecules is one of the promising strategies for mediating safe and effective tumor therapy. In recent years, bacterial-derived non-replicating minicells, which are nanoscale non-nucleated cells produced during abnormal bacterial division, have got more and more attention. With a diameter of 200-400 nm, minicells have a large drug loading capacity. Meanwhile, the surface of minicells are able to be modified to load the assembly of antibodies/ligands that bind to tumor cell surface specific antigens or receptors, which can significantly improve tumor targeting of minicells. This tumor-targeting nanomaterials of minicells not only are used to deliver anti-tumor chemotherapeutic drugs, functional nucleic acids or plasmids encoding functional small molecules to mammalian cells, but also greatly increase drug loading and reduce drug penetration. Thus, the use of minicells combining with chemical therapy could help reduce the toxicity and maximize the effectiveness of the drug in the body. This paper summarizes the research and development of production purification, drug loading, tumor cells targeting, and internalization process of minicells, as well as its use in the delivery of anti-tumor drugs, to provide some information for the development and utilization of minicell carriers.

Discovery of 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-one-containing benzamide derivatives targeting FtsZ as highly potent agents of killing a variety of MDR bacteria strains

The spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA), has created a need for new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action. The bacterial division protein FtsZ has been identified as a novel drug target that can be exploited clinically. As part of an ongoing effort to develop FtsZ-targeting antibacterial agents, we describe herein the design, synthesis and bioactivity of six series of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-one-containing, 1,2,4-triazol-3-one-containing and pyrazolin-5-one-containing benzamide derivatives. Among them, compound A14 was found to be the most potent antibacterial agent, much better than clinical drugs such as ciprofloxacin, linezolid and erythromycin against all the tested gram-positive strains, particularly methicillin-resistant, penicillin-resistant and clinical isolated S. aureus. Subsequent studies on biological activities and docking analyses proved that A14 functioned as an effective compound targeting FtsZ. Preliminary SAR indicated a general direction for further optimization of these novel analogues. Taken together, this research provides a promising chemotype for developing newer FtsZ-targeting bactericidal agents.

Mechanisms of Bacterial Cell Division

Despite numerous studies, gaps still remain in our understanding of bacterial cell division. This review describes the basic mechanisms responsible for division of the bacterial cell and coordination of this process in space and time. Attention is concentrated on such well-studied, model microorganisms as gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and gram-positive Bacillus subtilis. The hypothetical models of cell division of mycoplasmas which lack a cell wall and have lost most of the genes encoding the homologs of the known components of the bacterial divisome are also considered. Due to the fact that the bacterial division apparatus is a promising target for new antibiotics, the investigation of this process, apart from basic importance, is also of applied interest, and therefore is one of the priorities of modern molecular microbiology.

A bio-inspired optimal network division method

Network models are ubiquitous in engineering like communication, transportation and society. For many algorithms, the processing time grows exponentially as the number of nodes grows. In applications like allocating storage center in a transportation network and organizing cluster architectures in an Iot network, dividing a massive network into small no-overlap subnetworks is necessary. In this paper, a network dividing method is presented inspired by the natural phenomena of bacterial growth, division and competition. This method aims to use the bionic metrics to divided a big network evenly, because in transmission and communication areas, balancing of workload is important. Two examples utilized to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method. A small network with 31 nodes serves to present the division result visually and a server network with 1200 nodes was used to prove the efficiency and evenness of result.

An Essential Regulator of Bacterial Division Links FtsZ to Cell Wall Synthase Activation

Bacterial growth and division require insertion of new peptidoglycan (PG) into the existing cell wall by PG synthase enzymes. Emerging evidence suggests that many PG synthases require activation to function; however, it is unclear how activation of division-specific PG synthases occurs. The FtsZ cytoskeleton has been implicated as a regulator of PG synthesis during division, but the mechanisms through which it acts are unknown. Here, we show that FzlA, an FtsZ-binding protein and essential regulator of constriction in Caulobacter crescentus, helps link FtsZ to PG synthesis to promote division. We find that hyperactive mutants of the PG synthases FtsW and FtsI specifically render fzlA, but not other division genes, non-essential. However, FzlA is still required to maintain proper constriction rate and efficiency in a hyperactive PG synthase background. Intriguingly, loss of fzlA in the presence of hyperactivated FtsWI causes cells to rotate about the division plane during constriction and sensitizes cells to cell-wall-specific antibiotics. We demonstrate that FzlA-dependent signaling to division-specific PG synthesis is conserved in another α-proteobacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. These data establish that FzlA helps link FtsZ to cell wall remodeling and is required for signaling to both activate and spatially orient PG synthesis during division. Overall, our findings support the paradigm that activation of SEDS-PBP PG synthases is a broadly conserved requirement for bacterial morphogenesis.

Cell Wall Hydrolases in Bacteria: Insight on the Diversity of Cell Wall Amidases, Glycosidases and Peptidases Toward Peptidoglycan.

The cell wall (CW) of bacteria is an intricate arrangement of macromolecules, at least constituted of peptidoglycan (PG) but also of (lipo)teichoic acids, various polysaccharides, polyglutamate and/or proteins. During bacterial growth and division, there is a constant balance between CW degradation and biosynthesis. The CW is remodeled by bacterial hydrolases, whose activities are carefully regulated to maintain cell integrity or lead to bacterial death. Each cell wall hydrolase (CWH) has a specific role regarding the PG: (i) cell wall amidase (CWA) cleaves the amide bond between N-acetylmuramic acid and L-alanine residue at the N-terminal of the stem peptide, (ii) cell wall glycosidase (CWG) catalyses the hydrolysis of the glycosidic linkages, whereas (iii) cell wall peptidase (CWP) cleaves amide bonds between amino acids within the PG chain. After an exhaustive overview of all known conserved catalytic domains responsible for CWA, CWG, and CWP activities, this review stresses that the CWHs frequently display a modular architecture combining multiple and/or different catalytic domains, including some lytic transglycosylases as well as CW binding domains. From there, direct physiological and collateral roles of CWHs in bacterial cells are further discussed.

Synthetic developmental regulator MciZ targets FtsZ across Bacillus species and inhibits bacterial division.

Cell division in most bacteria is directed by FtsZ, a conserved tubulin-like GTPase that assembles forming the cytokinetic Z-ring and constitutes a target for the discovery of new antibiotics. The developmental regulator MciZ, a 40-amino acid peptide endogenously produced during Bacillus subtilis sporulation, halts cytokinesis in the mother cell by inhibiting FtsZ. The crystal structure of a FtsZ:MciZ complex revealed that bound MciZ extends the C-terminal β-sheet of FtsZ blocking its assembly interface. Here we demonstrate that exogenously added MciZ specifically inhibits B. subtilis cell division, sporulation and germination, and provide insight into MciZ molecular recognition by FtsZ from different bacteria. MciZ and FtsZ form a complex with sub-micromolar affinity, analyzed by analytical ultracentrifugation, laser biolayer interferometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. Synthetic MciZ analogs, carrying single amino acid substitutions impairing MciZ β-strand formation or hydrogen bonding to FtsZ, show a gradual reduction in affinity that resembles their impaired activity in bacteria. Gene sequences encoding MciZ spread across genus Bacillus and synthetic MciZ slows down cell division in Bacillus species, including pathogenic Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. Moreover, B. subtilis MciZ is recognized by the homologous FtsZ from Staphylococcus aureus and inhibits division when it is expressed into S. aureus cells.

Delineating FtsQ-mediated regulation of cell division in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Identifying and characterizing the individual contributors to bacterial cellular elongation and division will improve our understanding of their impact on cell growth and division. Here, we delineated the role of ftsQ, a terminal gene of the highly conserved division cell wall (dcw) operon, in growth, survival, and cell length maintenance in the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We found that FtsQ overexpression significantly increases the cell length and number of multiseptate cells. FtsQ depletion in Mtb resulted in cells that were shorter than WT cells during the initial growth stages (4 days after FtsQ depletion) but were longer than WT cells at later stages (10 days after FtsQ depletion) and compromised the survival in vitro and in differentiated THP1 macrophages. Overexpression of N- and C-terminal FtsQ regions altered the cell length, and the C-terminal domain alone complemented the FtsQ depletion phenotype. MS analyses suggested robust FtsQ phosphorylation on Thr-24, and although phosphoablative and -mimetic mutants rescued the FtsQ depletion-associated cell viability defects, they failed to complement the cell length defects. MS and coimmunoprecipitation experiments identified 63 FtsQ-interacting partners, and we show that the interaction of FtsQ with the recently identified cell division protein SepIVA is independent of FtsQ phosphorylation and suggests a role of FtsQ in modulating cell division. FtsQ exhibited predominantly septal localization in both the presence and absence of SepIVA. Our results suggest a role for FtsQ in modulating the length, division, and survival of Mtb cells both in vitro and in the host.

FtsZ‐Induced Shape Transformation of Coacervates

AbstractRecently, both the cellular and synthetic biology communities have expressed a strong interest in coacervates, membrane‐less liquid droplets composed of densely packed multivalent molecules that form as a result of spontaneous phase separation. Here, it is studied how FtsZ, a protein that plays a key role in the bacterial division process, remodels coacervates made of polylysine (pLL) and guanosine triphosphate (GTP). It is shown that FtsZ strongly partitions at the surface of the coacervates and induces their disassembly due to the hydrolysis of GTP by FtsZ. Surprisingly, the coacervates are found to promote lateral interactions between FtsZ filaments, inducing the formation of an emanating network of FtsZ bundles that interconnect neighboring coacervates. Under mechanical stress, coacervates are shown to fracture, resulting in profound invaginations along their circumference. The results bring out the potential of coacervates for their use as membrane‐free scaffolds for building synthetic cells as well as are possibly relevant for coacervation in prokaryotic cells.

The cell wall hydrolase Pmp23 is important for assembly and stability of the division ring in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Bacterial division is intimately linked to synthesis and remodeling of the peptidoglycan, a cage-like polymer that surrounds the bacterial cell, providing shape and mechanical resistance. The bacterial division machinery, which is scaffolded by the cytoskeleton protein FtsZ, includes proteins with enzymatic, structural or regulatory functions. These proteins establish a complex network of transient functional and/or physical interactions which preserve cell shape and cell integrity. Cell wall hydrolases required for peptidoglycan remodeling are major contributors to this mechanism. Consistent with this, their deletion or depletion often results in morphological and/or division defects. However, the exact function of most of them remains elusive. In this work, we show that the putative lysozyme activity of the cell wall hydrolase Pmp23 is important for proper morphology and cell division in the opportunistic human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Our data indicate that active Pmp23 is required for proper localization of the Z-ring and the FtsZ-positioning protein MapZ. In addition, Pmp23 localizes to the division site and interacts directly with the essential peptidoglycan synthase PBP2x. Altogether, our data reveal a new regulatory function for peptidoglycan hydrolases.

Alveolar and monocyte-derived macrophages differentially engage antibacterial programs during adaptive immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract Cognate interactions between antigen-specific CD4 T cells and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected cells are critical for mucosal immunity to tuberculosis (TB). However, Mtb resides intracellularly within a variety of myeloid cell populations, and the relative impact of CD4 T cells on distinct infected cell types remains unknown. Here we report that intratracheally-transferred, Mtb-specific T cells are unable to reduce the bacterial burden in the first week after aerosol infection, when Mtb resides almost exclusively within alveolar macrophages (AMs). However, transferred T cells do mediate protection by day 14, at which point Mtb has disseminated to monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). Using an Mtb “replication clock” strain, which loses plasmid at a fixed rate with bacterial division, we observe that Mtb continues to replicate in AMs even after the onset of adaptive immunity, whereas replication in MDMs is curtailed. We also find that MDMs are less reliant on oxidative metabolism and express more NOS2 than AMs, which may explain their superior antibacterial activity. Finally, RNA-Seq analysis of these two macrophage populations reveals enriched expression of proinflammatory pathways (i.e. NFkB signaling) in Mtb-infected MDMs compared to AMs. Together, our results indicate that AMs may serve as a privileged niche for Mtb, despite the presence of Mtb-specific T cells. As many current TB vaccine candidates seek to induce lung-resident T cells that can recognize and control Mtb early after aerosol infection, the relative resistance of Mtb-infected AMs to T cell-mediated immunity could represent a previously unappreciated barrier to this strategy.

The peculiar behavior of dnaA, gyrA and gyrB temperature-sensitive mutants and their Hfr derivatives made recA, rnhA or both mutants

The role of the recA and rnhA mutations on the growth of different thermo-sensitive mutants at the non permissive temperature was studied. The growth of Hfr strains selected by integrative suppression in a dnaA(Ts) mutant was found strongly dependent on the RecA protein. This latter gene product was also essential for gyrA(Ts) and gyrB(Ts), rnhA double mutants for growing at 43°C. This RecA+ dependent cell multiplication was due to the fact that all the strains studied initiated their DNA synthesis from site(s) different from the normal gene oriC. This phenomenon causes in the cell a non-stop production of the bacterial genome with concomitant disorders in the bacterial division process. It has been suggested that when the growth of the microorganism is driven by an extra-chromosomal genetic element it behaves like a transformed tumor cell. Thus the bacterial model may present many advantages for studying the mechanisms by which cells lose the control of their division process because of an infecting foreign genetic element integrated in their chromosome.

Turgor Pressure and Possible Constriction Mechanisms in Bacterial Division.

Bacterial cytokinesis begins with the assembly of FtsZ into a Z ring at the center of the cell. The Z-ring constriction in Gram-negative bacteria may occur in an environment where the periplasm and the cytoplasm are isoosmotic, but in Gram-positive bacteria the constriction may have to overcome a substantial turgor pressure. We address three potential sources of invagination force. (1) FtsZ itself may generate force by curved protofilaments bending the attached membrane. This is sufficient to constrict liposomes in vitro. However, this force is on the order of a few pN, and would not be enough to overcome turgor. (2) Cell wall (CW) synthesis may generate force by pushing the plasma membrane from the outside. However, this would probably require some kind of Brownian ratchet to separate the CW and membrane sufficiently to allow a glycan strand to slip in. The elastic element is not obvious. (3) Excess membrane production has the potential to contribute significantly to the invagination force. If the excess membrane is produced under the CW, it would force the membrane to bleb inward. We propose here that a combination of FtsZ pulling from the inside, and excess membrane pushing membrane inward may generate a substantial constriction force at the division site. This combined force generation mechanism may be sufficient to overcome turgor pressure. This would abolish the need for a Brownian ratchet for CW growth, and would permit CW to operate by reinforcing the constrictions generated by FtsZ and excess membrane.

The monoplastidic bottleneck in algae and plant evolution.

Plastids in plants and algae evolved from the endosymbiotic integration of a cyanobacterium by a heterotrophic eukaryote. New plastids can only emerge through fission; thus, the synchronization of bacterial division with the cell cycle of the eukaryotic host was vital to the origin of phototrophic eukaryotes. Most of the sampled algae house a single plastid per cell and basal-branching relatives of polyplastidic lineages are all monoplastidic, as are some non-vascular plants during certain stages of their life cycle. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the molecular components necessary for plastid division, including those of the peptidoglycan wall (of which remnants were recently identified in moss), in a wide range of phototrophic eukaryotes. Our comparison of the phenotype of 131 species harbouring plastids of either primary or secondary origin uncovers that one prerequisite for an algae or plant to house multiple plastids per nucleus appears to be the loss of the bacterial genes minD and minE from the plastid genome. The presence of a single plastid whose division is coupled to host cytokinesis was a prerequisite of plastid emergence. An escape from such a monoplastidic bottleneck succeeded rarely and appears to be coupled to the evolution of additional layers of control over plastid division and a complex morphology. The existence of a quality control checkpoint of plastid transmission remains to be demonstrated and is tied to understanding the monoplastidic bottleneck.

Stochastic Individual-Based Modeling of Bacterial Growth and Division Using Flow Cytometry.

A realistic description of the variability in bacterial growth and division is critical to produce reliable predictions of safety risks along the food chain. Individual-based modeling of bacteria provides the theoretical framework to deal with this variability, but it requires information about the individual behavior of bacteria inside populations. In this work, we overcome this problem by estimating the individual behavior of bacteria from population statistics obtained with flow cytometry. For this objective, a stochastic individual-based modeling framework is defined based on standard assumptions during division and exponential growth. The unknown single-cell parameters required for running the individual-based modeling simulations, such as cell size growth rate, are estimated from the flow cytometry data. Instead of using directly the individual-based model, we make use of a modified Fokker-Plank equation. This only equation simulates the population statistics in function of the unknown single-cell parameters. We test the validity of the approach by modeling the growth and division of Pediococcus acidilactici within the exponential phase. Estimations reveal the statistics of cell growth and division using only data from flow cytometry at a given time. From the relationship between the mother and daughter volumes, we also predict that P. acidilactici divide into two successive parallel planes.