Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Jul 25.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Microbiol. 2021 Jan 25;6(5):584–593. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-00853-0

Figure 6. A two-track model integrating spatial information into the regulation of sPG synthase activity.

Figure 6.

Inactive synthase FtsWI complex follows the treadmilling FtsZ filament (Z-track, top) and is transported to different locations along the septum. Active FtsWI complex engages in processive septal cell wall synthesis along the sPG track (bottom). FtsN and the available level of cell wall synthesis precursor Lipid II play important roles in promoting the release of inactive FtsWI from the Z-track to pursue sPG synthesis on the sPG-track. Stationary FtsWI complexes (grey molecules, left panel) likely include those bound to internal subunits of FtsZ filaments until the shrinking end approaches, and those bound at sPG synthesis sites waiting for factors (e.g. lipid II substrate or the activator FtsN) to start or continue sPG synthesis.