E. coli filament buckling modulates Min patterning and cell division

Bacteria often encounter physico-chemical stresses that disrupt division, leading to filamentation, where cells elongate without dividing. Although this adaptive response improves survival, it also exposes filaments to significant mechanical strain, raising questions about the mechanochemical feedback in bacterial systems. In this study, we investigate how mechanical strain modifies the geometry of bacterial filaments and influences the Min oscillatory system, a reaction-diffusion network central to division in Escherichia coli. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining quantitative fluorescence microscopy, biophysical modeling, microfluidics, and patterned growth substrates, we demonstrate that Escherichia coli filaments undergo a growth-induced buckling instability. This phenomenon modulates the spatiotemporal patterning of the Min system. Moreover, we show that synergistic mechanochemical effects determine the location of the division site after stress relief, effectively creating a mechanical “memory” for cytokinesis. Our findings underscore the critical role of mechanical forces and geometric effects in bacterial filamentation and provide new insights into the functional implications of mechanobiology in microbial systems.