The archaeal protein SepF is essential for cell division in Haloferax volcanii

In most bacteria, cell division depends on the tubulin homolog FtsZ and other proteins, such as SepF, that form a complex termed the divisome. Cell division also depends on FtsZ in many archaea, but other components of the divisome are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a SepF homolog plays important roles in cell division in Haloferax volcanii, a halophilic archaeon that is known to have two FtsZ homologs with slightly different functions (FtsZ1 and FtsZ2). SepF co-localizes with both FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 at midcell. Attempts to generate a sepF deletion mutant were unsuccessful, suggesting an essential role. Indeed, SepF depletion leads to severe cell division defects and formation of large cells. Overexpression of FtsZ1-GFP or FtsZ2-GFP in SepF-depleted cells results in formation of filamentous cells with a high number of FtsZ1 rings, while the number of FtsZ2 rings is not affected. Pull-down assays support that SepF interacts with FtsZ2 but not with FtsZ1, although SepF appears delocalized in the absence of FtsZ1. Archaeal SepF homologs lack a glycine residue known to be important for polymerization and function in bacteria, and purified H. volcanii SepF forms dimers, suggesting that polymerization might not be important for the function of archaeal SepF. In most bacteria, cell division depends on tubulin homolog FtsZ and other proteins, such as SepF. Cell division in many archaea also depends on FtsZ. Here, Nu ss baum et al. show that a SepF homolog plays important roles in cell division in Haloferax volcanii, a halophilic archaeon that has two FtsZ homologs.

Automated summary

Cell division in most bacteria and many archaea relies on the proteins FtsZ and SepF, but a homolog of SepF in archaea, such as Haloferax volcanii, also plays a crucial role in cell division by interacting with FtsZ1 and FtsZ2. The archaeal SepF lacks a conserved glycine residue important for polymerization in bacteria, suggesting a different mechanism of action in archaea.