AUTHOR=Sutton Joshua A. F. , Cooke Mark , Tinajero-Trejo Mariana , Wacnik Katarzyna , Salamaga Bartłomiej , Portman-Ross Callum , Lund Victoria A. , Hobbs Jamie K. , Foster Simon J. 

TITLE=The roles of GpsB and DivIVA in Staphylococcus aureus growth and division

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1241249

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1241249

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=The spheroid bacterium S. aureus is often used as a model of morphogenesis due to its apparent simple cell cycle. S. aureus has many cell division proteins that are conserved across bacteria alluding to common functions. However, despite intensive study we still do not know the roles of many of these components. Here we have examined the functions of the paralogues DivIVA and GpsB in the S. aureus cell cycle. Cells lacking gpsB display a more spherical phenotype than wild type, associated with a decrease in peripheral cell wall peptidoglycan synthesis. This correlates with an increased localisation of penicillin binding proteins at the developing septum, notably PBPs 2 and 3. Our results highlight the role of GpsB as an apparent regulator of cell morphogenesis in S. aureus.