Project: Coordination between cell division and chromosomal replication/segregation

Cell cycle is an emergent property of cellular life. In all cells, the cycle involves separate replication and division cycles. How these cycles are coordinated with each other has remained poorly understood. Our goal is to understand how this coupling is implemented at the molecular level in bacteria.

Schematics of E. coli cell cycle.

We have recently determined how replication and division cycles are timed at different growth rates in E. coli. Our data show that replication and division cycles are strongly coupled in slow growth rates but only weakly at faster growth rates. Furthermore, the data suggests that the unreplicated chromosome blocks the onset of constriction at mid-cell. The mechanism for such blocking remains yet to be determined.