Commentary in 2003

It is widely observed that eukaryotic cells can polarize spontaneously in the absence of pre-established asymmetric cues. This phenomenon indicates that the principle of self-organization may be central to the establishment of cell polarity. Modelling work, as well as recent experimental data from several organisms, suggests that a combination of local positive feedback loops and global inhibitors could result in robust cell symmetry breaking through amplification of minute, stochastic variations.

The application of modern fluorescence microscopic methods to bacteria has revolutionized our view of their subcellular organization. Many proteins are now known to be targeted with exquisite precision to specific locations in the cell, or to undergo rapid directed changes in localization. Structural and functional homologues of tubulin (FtsZ) and actin (MreB) are now indisputably present in bacteria, overturning the textbook view that the cytoskeleton is unique to eukaryotes. These advances are stimulating a radical rethink about how various fundamental processes are organised in bacteria.