In dividing cells, chromosome life cycle comprising duplication and segregation of newly replicated chromosomes into daughter cells prior to cell division represents an essential and highly controlled part of bacterial cellular activities. Several molecular mechanisms act in concert to allow chromosome duplication initiation once-and-only-once per cell cycle. Others ensure that this process is linked to chromosome segregation in a tightly coordinated manner. Considering that the chromosome is a massively compact structure, the general organization of the bacterial nucleoid adds an extra level to cell cycle coordination. In particular, a compromise has to be reached between the requirement of significant compaction and unobstructed accessibility to molecular processes underlying a range of essential cellular functions, such as DNA replication, transcription, DNA repair, and homologous recombination.
As single cell organisms, bacteria and archaea constantly adapt to ever-changing environmental conditions. Typical examples of environmental conditions include exposure to antibiotics, nutrient limitation, changes in physical parameters (pH, temperature, osmotic pressure) exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation or oxidative stress. As various types of such conditions might adversely affect control mechanisms within maintaining chromosome dynamics, bacterial cells have developed highly advanced survival strategies to overcome the negative impact of the encountered stress, and hence adapt to unfavorable conditions, thereby allowing the colonization of various ecological niches including host organisms. However, the molecular mechanisms of how chromosome maintenance systems cope with such challenges and potentially help to overcome significant threats to genome stability, cell cycle regulation, and cell viability, remain only purely understood.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, and Mini Review articles focusing on the influence of changing environmental conditions on bacterial and archaeal chromosome dynamics, such as chromosome organization, replication (initiation, elongation, and termination), and segregation. A special emphasis will be put on the understanding of molecular survival mechanisms and strategies adopted by cells to preserve cell cycle regulation and genome integrity in response to stress conditions.
In dividing cells, chromosome life cycle comprising duplication and segregation of newly replicated chromosomes into daughter cells prior to cell division represents an essential and highly controlled part of bacterial cellular activities. Several molecular mechanisms act in concert to allow chromosome duplication initiation once-and-only-once per cell cycle. Others ensure that this process is linked to chromosome segregation in a tightly coordinated manner. Considering that the chromosome is a massively compact structure, the general organization of the bacterial nucleoid adds an extra level to cell cycle coordination. In particular, a compromise has to be reached between the requirement of significant compaction and unobstructed accessibility to molecular processes underlying a range of essential cellular functions, such as DNA replication, transcription, DNA repair, and homologous recombination.
As single cell organisms, bacteria and archaea constantly adapt to ever-changing environmental conditions. Typical examples of environmental conditions include exposure to antibiotics, nutrient limitation, changes in physical parameters (pH, temperature, osmotic pressure) exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation or oxidative stress. As various types of such conditions might adversely affect control mechanisms within maintaining chromosome dynamics, bacterial cells have developed highly advanced survival strategies to overcome the negative impact of the encountered stress, and hence adapt to unfavorable conditions, thereby allowing the colonization of various ecological niches including host organisms. However, the molecular mechanisms of how chromosome maintenance systems cope with such challenges and potentially help to overcome significant threats to genome stability, cell cycle regulation, and cell viability, remain only purely understood.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, and Mini Review articles focusing on the influence of changing environmental conditions on bacterial and archaeal chromosome dynamics, such as chromosome organization, replication (initiation, elongation, and termination), and segregation. A special emphasis will be put on the understanding of molecular survival mechanisms and strategies adopted by cells to preserve cell cycle regulation and genome integrity in response to stress conditions.
