Subramanian Kartik, Tyson John J
Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Results Probl Cell Differ. 2017;61:23-48. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-53150-2_2.
The spatial localization of proteins within the cytoplasm of bacteria is an underappreciated but critical aspect of cell cycle regulation for many prokaryotes. In Caulobacter crescentus-a model organism for the study of asymmetric cell reproduction in prokaryotes-heterogeneous localization of proteins has been identified as the underlying cause of asymmetry in cell morphology, DNA replication, and cell division. However, significant questions remain. Firstly, the mechanisms by which proteins localize in the organelle-free prokaryotic cytoplasm remain obscure. Furthermore, how variations in the spatial and temporal dynamics of cell fate determinants regulate signaling pathways and orchestrate the complex programs of asymmetric cell division and differentiation are subjects of ongoing research. In this chapter, we review current efforts in investigating these two questions. We describe how mathematical models of spatiotemporal protein dynamics are being used to generate and test competing hypotheses and provide complementary insight about the control mechanisms that regulate asymmetry in protein localization and cell division.
蛋白质在细菌细胞质内的空间定位，对于许多原核生物的细胞周期调控而言，是一个未得到充分重视却至关重要的方面。在新月柄杆菌（一种用于研究原核生物不对称细胞繁殖的模式生物）中，蛋白质的异质定位已被确认为细胞形态、DNA复制及细胞分裂不对称性的根本原因。然而，仍存在重大问题。首先，蛋白质定位于无细胞器的原核细胞质中的机制仍不清楚。此外，细胞命运决定因素的时空动态变化如何调节信号通路并协调不对称细胞分裂和分化的复杂程序，仍是正在进行研究的课题。在本章中，我们综述了当前在研究这两个问题方面所做的努力。我们描述了时空蛋白质动力学的数学模型如何被用于生成和检验相互竞争的假说，并为调节蛋白质定位和细胞分裂不对称性的控制机制提供补充性见解。
