Cell division, an essential process in bacteria, is driven by a cytoskeletal ring structure - the Z ring - composed of polymers of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ. Z ring formation must be tightly regulated to ensure faithful cell division, and several mechanisms have previously been described that influence the positioning and timing of Z ring assembly. One important but as yet poorly understood aspect of cell division regulation is the need to coordinate division with cell growth and nutrient availability. Our lab has demonstrated for the first time that cell division is intimately linked to central carbon metabolism in the model Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We show that pyruvate, produced in the final step of glycolysis by the enzyme pyruvate kinase, is a key metabolite in coordinating cell growth and division by regulating midcell Z ring formation. Our results support a model in which pyruvate levels are coupled to Z ring assembly via an enzyme that metabolizes pyruvate, the E1α subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase.
Current work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of the link between central carbon metabolism and cell division in B. subtilis. Pyruvate, being the end product of glycolysis, has a number of potential fates in vivo. We aim to identify whether pyruvate itself or any of the metabolites derived from pyruvate is involved in coordinating the division process with metabolic activity and nutrient levels. In addition to answering a fundamental biology question of how bacterial cell division is regulated by nutrient availability, this study aims to uncover a new area of interest for possible exploitation for the development of antimicrobial agents.