Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal system controlling cell shape
sp., we found that a chromosomally encoded ParMR system has evolved into a cytoskeletal system named CorMR with a function in cell shape control rather than DNA segregation. Live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution, and cryo-electron microscopy revealed that CorM formed dynamically unstable, antiparallel double-stranded filaments that were recruited to the membrane by CorR through an amphipathic helix conserved in multicellular cyanobacteria. CorMR filaments were regulated by MinC, which excluded them from the poles and division plane. Comparative genomics indicated that the repurposing of ParMR and Min systems coevolved with cyanobacterial multicellularity, highlighting the evolutionary plasticity of cytoskeletal systems in bacteria.
Authors
- Dustin Martin Hanke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1947-4428)
- Gregor L. Weiss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2132-670X)
- Daniela Megrian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6272-6814)
- Martin Loose (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7309-9724)
- R. Hajdu
- Benjamin L. Springstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3461-5391)
- Manjunath G. Javoor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2311-2112)
- Bettina Zens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9561-1239)
- F.K.M. Schur (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4790-8078)
Institutions
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (AT)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo (UY)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2026-04-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea6343
- Primary Topic
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- European Research Council
- HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions