Induction of a class I β-lactamase from Citrobacter freundii in Escherichia coli requires active ftsZ but not ftsA or ftsQ products

Abstract

A possible connection between septation/division and induction of cloned ampC β-lactamase was investigated. When a ftsZ84(Ts) mutant of Escherichia coli carrying ampR-ampC from Citrobacter freundii was grown at the restrictive temperature (42°C), induction of β-lactamase by cefoxitin was inhibited by about 80%. Inhibition was virtually complete when a ftsZ84(Ts) mutant of different genetic background was tested. Although somewhat delayed, the induction of β-lactamase in transformed ftsA(Ts) and ftsQ(Ts) mutants was similar to that observed in wild-type transformants. These results imply that FtsZ is involved in the process of β-lactamase induction.