Rekonstitution biologischer Selbstorganisation in vitro

The Escherichia coli Min proteins select the cell middle for division by oscillating between the cell poles where they inhibit the divisome protein FtsZ. Reconstitution of Min proteins on a lipid membrane in vitro yields their self-organization into surface waves. In biomimetic compartments, pole-to-pole oscillations can be obtained which direct FtsZ to the middle. This establishes bottom-up synthetic biology as a promising approach to reconstitute complex dynamics and spatial cues in vitro