The ClpX chaperone controls autolytic splitting of Staphylococcus aureus daughter cells, but is bypassed by β-lactam antibiotics or inhibitors of WTA biosynthesis
Fig 2
Single cell analysis reveals that oxacillin prevents premature growth arrest and spontaneous lysis of S. aureus clpX mutants.
Still images from time-lapse microscopy (phase contrast) of SA564 wild-type and clpX cells growing on a semisolid surface at 30°C, without (A) or supplemented with 0.01 μg ml-1 oxacillin (B). In the upper and middle panel (T = -90) cells were exposed to 0.01 μg ml-1 oxacillin 90 min prior to imaging; in the lower panel (T = 0), clpX cells were grown in the absence of oxacillin prior to imaging. The still images are taken from movies (see S1 Movie) showing the typical growth of one micro-colony among at least 20 imaged micro colonies, except that the clpX cells depicted in (A) belong to the minority of clpX cells that were capable of initiating growth and forming a micro colony. N, corresponds to the number of living cells at the endpoint (T = 360). Scale bar, 5 μm.