Spatiotemporal organization of the bacterial cytoplasm

Abstract

The bacterial cytoplasm is a dynamic and crowded environment where the majority of the molecules of the cell can (transiently) interact and react. Here, we focus on the spatiotemporal organization of the bacterial cytoplasm, with emphasis on liquid–liquid phase separation. Nucleic acids and proteins organize the nucleoid in condensate-like substructures, which, for example, facilitate segregation of DNA to daughter cells. Recent studies suggest that RNA–protein and protein–protein condensates play a crucial role in bacterial physiology under both normal and stress conditions, including folding and aggregation of macromolecules, DNA repair, and metabolism.