@article{90621,
  keywords = {Models, Molecular, Diffusion, Bacterial Proteins, Neisseria gonorrhoeae},
  author = {Kerwyn Casey Huang and Ned Wingreen},
  title = {Min-protein oscillations in round bacteria.},
  abstract = { In rod-shaped Escherichia coli cells, the Min proteins, which are involved in division-site selection, oscillate from pole-to-pole. The homologs of the Min proteins from the round bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae also form a spatial oscillator when expressed in wild-type and round, rodA- mutants of E. coli, suggesting that the Min proteins form an oscillator in N. gonorrhoeae. Here we report that a numerical model for Min-protein oscillations in rod-shaped cells also produces oscillations in round cells (cocci). Our numerical results explain why the MinE-protein rings found in wild-type E. coli are absent in round mutants. In addition, we find that for round cells there is a minimum radius below which oscillations do not occur, and a maximum radius above which oscillations become mislocalized. Finally, we demonstrate that Min-protein oscillations can select the long axis in nearly round cells based solely on geometry, a potentially important factor in division-plane selection in cocci. },
  year = {2004},
  journal = {Phys Biol},
  volume = {1},
  pages = {229-35},
  month = {12/2004},
  issn = {1478-3967},
  doi = {10.1088/1478-3967/1/4/005},
  language = {eng},
}