Guiding bacterial protein pattern formation and cell division

Patterns form in biological and physical systems across scales, ranging from cellular to macroscopic. In bacteria, the Min protein system is critical for regulating cell division and ensuring symmetric outcomes. Min proteins self-organize into patterns that guide FtsZ proteins — proteins that assemble into a ring where cell division will eventually occur — into the middle of the cell.

Because of Min proteins’ central role, Wu et al. studied the underlying mechanisms that guide the formation, stabilization, and switching of their spatial patterns to gain a better perspective on cell division and cellular spatial patterns. They used a landscape-flux framework, a method for monitoring nonequilibrium systems by studying their potential attractors and flux. They considered three processes: the diffusion of protein molecules, their spontaneous attachment and detachment, and cooperative processes between them.

With changes in cell length or detachment rate, the researchers found the Min protein system switches between different stable states, allowing it to regulate the positioning of the FtsZ ring. If the cell lengths or detachment rates are far beyond the normal range, the Min proteins cannot efficiently reorganize their spatial patterns, which can ultimately put the accuracy of the cell division at risk.

“Surprisingly, the prediction works so well that our work holds potential applications such as the detection of early warning signals for cell division,” said author Jin Wang.

They plan to extend their studies to other biological spatial patterning, such as cell cycling and embryonic development. In addition, they hope to move beyond biological systems and use the landscape-flux framework to analyze ecological patterning, like vegetation and animal formations, and physical patterning, like turbulence.

Source: “Spatial landscape and flux for exploring protein pattern formation in rod-shaped bacteria,” by DingGe Wu, Jie Su, and Jin Wang, Journal of Chemical Physics (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0284776 .