Subcellular Min oscillations in E. coli: experimental and computational studies (Andrew Rutenberg, Dalhousie University, Canada)
Subcellular oscillations of the Min proteins within a single E. coli bacterium block polar assembly of the division apparatus, and prevent minicelling. Experimentally, we have explored how changing the cell shape, the temperature, and the extracellular medium can be used to manipulate the Min oscillations. Min oscillations appear to be viable single-cell reporters of the concentration of intracellular polycations, and we show that some antimicrobial peptides can penetrate into the cell without cell death.
Computationally, we have explored the partitioning of Min proteins during cell division, and have studied the formation of the MinE ring that is seen during the Min oscillation.