An Escherichia coli Mutant That Makes Exceptionally Long Cells

Although Escherichia coli is a very small (1- to 2-μm) rod-shaped cell, here we describe an E. coli mutant that forms enormously long cells in rich media such as Luria broth, as long indeed as 750 μm. These extremely elongated (eel) cells are as long as the longest bacteria known and have no internal subdivisions. They are metabolically competent, elongate rapidly, synthesize DNA, and distribute cell contents along this length. They lack only the ability to divide. The concentration of the essential cell division protein FtsZ is reduced in these eel cells, and increasing this concentration restores division.

IMPORTANCE Escherichia coli is usually a very small bacterium, 1 to 2 μm long. We have isolated a mutant that forms enormously long cells, 700 times longer than the usual E. coli cell. E. coli filaments that form under other conditions usually die within a few hours, whereas our mutant is fully viable even when it reaches such lengths. This mutant provides a useful tool for the study of aspects of E. coli physiology that are difficult to investigate with small cells.      

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