Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex

Abstract Membrane protein ComM transiently inhibits cell division during the development of the competence state in the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that, in competent cells, ComM moves together with, and reduces...

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Main Authors: Dimitri Juillot, Cyrille Billaudeau, Isabelle Mortier-Barrière, Aurélien Barbotin, Armand Lablaine, Patrice Polard, Nathalie Campo, Rut Carballido-López
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60600-z
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author Dimitri Juillot
Cyrille Billaudeau
Isabelle Mortier-Barrière
Aurélien Barbotin
Armand Lablaine
Patrice Polard
Nathalie Campo
Rut Carballido-López
author_facet Dimitri Juillot
Cyrille Billaudeau
Isabelle Mortier-Barrière
Aurélien Barbotin
Armand Lablaine
Patrice Polard
Nathalie Campo
Rut Carballido-López
author_sort Dimitri Juillot
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Membrane protein ComM transiently inhibits cell division during the development of the competence state in the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that, in competent cells, ComM moves together with, and reduces the speed of, septal peptidoglycan synthetic complex FtsW:PBP2x. ComM directly interacts with the putative FtsW:PBP2x activator DivIB, and overproduction of DivIB counteracts FtsW:PBP2x deceleration along the cell division delay in competent cells. Our results support a model in which ComM reduces septal peptidoglycan synthesis by interfering with DivIB activity during competence in S. pneumoniae.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-3b410ba3ceb64a9686f14ae8e4e82cf12025-08-20T04:01:35ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111910.1038/s41467-025-60600-zTransient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complexDimitri Juillot0Cyrille Billaudeau1Isabelle Mortier-Barrière2Aurélien Barbotin3Armand Lablaine4Patrice Polard5Nathalie Campo6Rut Carballido-López7Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis InstituteUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis InstituteLaboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, UMR5100, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Centre Nationale de la Recherche ScientifiqueUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis InstituteUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis InstituteLaboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, UMR5100, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Centre Nationale de la Recherche ScientifiqueLaboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, UMR5100, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Centre Nationale de la Recherche ScientifiqueUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis InstituteAbstract Membrane protein ComM transiently inhibits cell division during the development of the competence state in the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that, in competent cells, ComM moves together with, and reduces the speed of, septal peptidoglycan synthetic complex FtsW:PBP2x. ComM directly interacts with the putative FtsW:PBP2x activator DivIB, and overproduction of DivIB counteracts FtsW:PBP2x deceleration along the cell division delay in competent cells. Our results support a model in which ComM reduces septal peptidoglycan synthesis by interfering with DivIB activity during competence in S. pneumoniae.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60600-z
spellingShingle Dimitri Juillot
Cyrille Billaudeau
Isabelle Mortier-Barrière
Aurélien Barbotin
Armand Lablaine
Patrice Polard
Nathalie Campo
Rut Carballido-López
Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
Nature Communications
title Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
title_full Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
title_fullStr Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
title_full_unstemmed Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
title_short Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
title_sort transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60600-z
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