Construction and Characterization of Functional FtsA Sandwich Fusions for Studies of FtsA Localization and Dynamics during Escherichia coli Cell Division

Abstract

FtsA is a key conserved cell division protein, and E. coli is the most well studied model system for bacterial cell division. One obstacle to full understanding of this process is the lack of a fully functional fluorescent reporter for FtsA in vivo . Here, we describe a fluorescent fusion to E. coli FtsA that promotes efficient cell division in the absence of the native FtsA and can be used to monitor FtsA dynamics during cell division.