Membrane redistribution of the Escherichia coli MinD protein induced by MinE

Escherichia coli cells contain potential division sites at midcell and adja cent to the cell poles. Selection of the correct division site at midcell i s controlled by three proteins: MinC, MinD, and MinE. It has previously bee n shown (D. Raskin and P. de Beer, Cell 91:685-694, 1997) that MinE-Gfp loc alizes to the midcell site in an MinD-dependent manner. We use here Gfp-Min D to show that MinD associates with the membrane around the entire peripher y of the cell in the absence of the other Min proteins and that MinE is cap able of altering the membrane distribution pattern of Gfp-MinD. Studies,vit h the isolated N-terminal and C-terminal MinE domains indicated different r oles for the two MinE domains in the redistribution of membrane-associated MinD.