Helicobacter pylori shows asymmetric and polar cell divisome assembly associated with DNA replisome

Abstract

DNA replication and cell division are two fundamental processes in the life cycle of a cell. The majority of prokaryotic cells undergo division by means of binary fission in coordination with replication of the genome. Both processes, but especially their coordination, are poorly understood in Helicobacter pylori. Here, we studied the cell divisome assembly and the subsequent processes of membrane and peptidoglycan synthesis in the bacterium. To our surprise, we found the cell divisome assembly to be polar, which was well-corroborated by the asymmetric membrane and peptidoglycan synthesis at the poles. The divisome components showed its assembly to be synchronous with that of the replisome and the two remained associated throughout the cell cycle, demonstrating a tight coordination among chromosome replication, segregation and cell division in H. pylori. To our knowledge, this is the first report where both DNA replication and cell division along with their possible association have been demonstrated for this pathogenic bacterium.