The effect of MinC on FtsZ polymerization is pH dependent and can be counteracted by ZapA

The min system prevents polar cell division in bacteria. Here, the biochemical characterization of the interaction of MinC and FtsZ from a Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, is reported. B. subtilis MinC inhibits FtsZ polymerization in a pH-dependent manner by preventing the formation of lateral associations between. laments. The inhibitory effect of MinC on FtsZ polymerization is counteracted by the presence of ZapA, a protein that promotes FtsZ. lament bundling. (c) 2008 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.