Biology

Dr. Sunish Kumar Radhakrishnan
IISER Thiruvananthapuram

A growing body of evidence shows that both free-living and pathogenic bacteria coordinate different stages of their cell cycle, similar to eukaryotes. However, the underlying mechanisms that control cell cycle events in bacteria remain largely unknown. My group is interested in deciphering the mechanisms that regulate bacterial cell cycle, and cell fate determination, using the asymmetrically dividing bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus, as the model organism. In my talk, I will describe our recent studies that have lead to the discovery of (i) a highly conserved old cell-pole specific signaling hub that regulates differentiation in bacteria, (ii) an atypical switch that links morphogenesis at the new cell-pole to cell division, and (iii) a dynamic cytoplasmic redox that couples cellular development to metabolism in Caulobacter. Finally, I will provide an overview of how our discovery of the oscillating cytoplasmic redox have opened up new avenues in the study of cell cycle progression and development in bacteria.