Induction of a class I beta-lactamase from Citrobacter freundii in Escherichia coli requires active ftsZ but not ftsA or ftsQ products

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Abstract
A possible connection between septation/division and induction of cloned ampC beta-lactamase was investigated. When a ftsZ84(Ts) mutant of Escherichia coli carrying ampR-ampC from Citrobacter freundii was grown at the restrictive temperature (42 degrees C), induction of beta-lactamase by cefoxitin was inhibited by about 80%. Inhibition was virtually complete when a ftsZ84(Ts) mutant of different genetic background was tested. Although somewhat delayed, the induction of beta-lactamase in transformed ftsA(Ts) and ftsQ(Ts) mutants was similar to that observed in wild-type transformants. These results imply that FtsZ is involved in the process of beta-lactamase induction.