Selection of the division site in Escherichia coli is regulated by the min system and requires the rapid oscillation of MinD between the two halves of the cell under the control of MinE. In this study we have further investigated the molecular basis for this oscillation by examining the interaction of MinD with phospholipid vesicles. We found that MinD bound to phospholipid vesicles in the presence of ATP and, upon binding, assembled into a well-ordered helical array that deformed the vesicles into tubes. Stimulation of the MinD ATPase by addition of MinE led to disassembly of the tubes and the release of MinD from the vesicles. It is proposed that this MinE-regulated dynamic assembly of MinD underlies MinD oscillation.
