Detection of membrane fission in single Bacillus subtilis cells during endospore formation with high temporal resolution

Abstract

Summary: Membrane fission is an essential process in all domains of life. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood in bacteria, partly because suitable assays are lacking. Here, we describe an assay to detect membrane fission during endospore formation in single Bacillus subtilis cells with a temporal resolution of ∼1 min. Other cellular processes can be quantified and temporally aligned to the membrane fission event in individual cells, revealing correlations and causal relationships.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Landajuela et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Keywords

• Cell Biology
• Single Cell
• Cell Membrane
• Microscopy