Temperature dependence of minD oscillation in Escherichia coli: Running hot and fast

Abstract

We observed that the oscillation period of MinD within rod-like and filamentous cells of Escherichia coli varied by a factor of 4 in the temperature range from 20°C to 40°C. The detailed dependence was Arrhenius, with a slope similar to the overall temperature-dependent growth curve of E. coli. The detailed pattern of oscillation, including the characteristic wavelength in filamentous cells, remained independent of temperature. A quantitative model of MinDE oscillation exhibited similar behavior, with an activated temperature dependence of the MinE-stimulated MinD-ATPase rate. Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.