STRUCTURE AND PARTITIONING OF BACTERIAL-DNA - DETERMINED BY A BALANCEOF COMPACTION AND EXPANSION FORCES

The mechanisms that determine chromosome structure and chromosome part itioning in bacteria are largely unknown. Here we discuss two hypothes es: (i) the structure of the Escherichia coli nucleoid is determined b y DNA binding proteins and DNA supercoiling, representing a compaction force on the one hand, and by the coupled transcription/translation/t ranslocation of plasma membrane and cell wall proteins, representing a n expansion force on the other hand; (ii) the two forces are important for the partitioning process of chromosomes.