Extracellular peptidoglycan-linked polysaccharide modifications mediate cell morphology, division, and autolysis in some Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. A new study shows that the degree and location of a specific modification controls peptidoglycan hydrolysis and placement of the axis of cell division.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by NIH grant R35GM131767 (to M.E.W.).
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Winkler, M.E. Undermodification cues division. Nat Chem Biol 17, 841–843 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-021-00818-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-021-00818-2