The study examines the spatial and temporal distribution of ribosomes in single Escherichia coli cells to gain insights into the process of bacterial aging. Key findings:
New daughters at birth have higher ribosome density compared to old daughters, especially when the daughters are from old mothers.
The asymmetry in ribosome distribution between old and new daughters is already present in the mother cells before division, suggesting that the placement of ribosomes in the mother sets up the ribosome asymmetry in the daughters.
The variance in ribosome density and elongation rates has both stochastic and deterministic components, with the deterministic component being higher in daughters from old mothers.
The spatial distribution of ribosomes within mother cells changes over time, with ribosomes accumulating more in the regions that will become the new poles of the daughter cells.
The reduced ribosome density in old daughters could be quantitatively accounted for by the volume occupied by protein aggregates, suggesting competition for space between ribosomes and aggregates as a potential mechanism underlying bacterial aging.
The results indicate that the asymmetric distribution of ribosomes, a fundamental cellular process, is a key contributor to the phenomenon of bacterial aging, going beyond previous observations of asymmetries in expressed gene products and protein aggregates.
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by Chao,L., Che... alle www.biorxiv.org 06-23-2023
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.21.545935v1Domande più approfondite