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. 1996 Mar;178(5):1320–1327. doi: 10.1128/jb.178.5.1320-1327.1996

Isolation of an ftsZ homolog from the archaebacterium Halobacterium salinarium: implications for the evolution of FtsZ and tubulin.

W Margolin 1, R Wang 1, M Kumar 1
PMCID: PMC177805  PMID: 8631708

Abstract

We have isolated a homolog of the cell division gene ftsZ from the extremely halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium salinarium. The predicted protein of 39 kDa is divergent relative to eubacterial homologs, with 32% identity to Escherichia coli FtsZ. No other eubacterial cell division gene homologs were found adjacent to H. salinarium ftsZ. Expression of the ftsZ gene region in H. salinarium induced significant morphological changes leading to the loss of rod shape. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the H. salinarium FtsZ protein is more related to tubulins than are the FtsZ proteins of eubacteria, supporting the hypothesis that FtsZ may have evolved into eukaryotic tubulin.

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Selected References

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