Ectopic positioning of the cell division plane is associated with single amino acid substitutions in the FtsZ-recruiting SsgB in .

In most bacteria, cell division begins with the polymerization of the GTPase FtsZ at mid-cell, which recruits the division machinery to initiate cell constriction. In the filamentous bacterium , cell division is positively controlled by SsgB, which recruits FtsZ to the future septum sites and promotes Z-ring formation. Here, we show that various amino acid (aa) substitutions in the highly conserved SsgB protein result in ectopically placed septa that sever spores diagonally or along the long axis, perpendicular to the division plane. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that between 3.3% and 9.8% of the spores of strains expressing SsgB E120 variants were severed ectopically. Biochemical analysis of SsgB variant E120G revealed that its interaction with FtsZ had been maintained. The crystal structure of SsgB was resolved and the key residues were mapped on the structure. Notably, residue substitutions (V115G, G118V, E120G) that are associated with septum misplacement localize in the 2-3 loop region that links the final helix and the rest of the protein. Structural analyses and molecular simulation revealed that these residues are essential for maintaining the proper angle of helix 3. Our data suggest that besides altering FtsZ, aa substitutions in the FtsZ-recruiting protein SsgB also lead to diagonally or longitudinally divided cells in .