Filamentation
Encyclopedia
Filamentation is the anomalous growth of certain bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

, such as E. coli, in which cells continue to elongate but do not divide (no septa
Septum
In anatomy, a septum is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones.-In human anatomy:...

 formation). Bacterial filamentation is often observed as a result of bacteria responding to various stresses, including DNA damage or inhibition of replication. This may happen, for example, while responding to extensive DNA damage through the SOS response system
SOS response
The SOS response is a global response to DNA damage in which the cell cycle is arrested and DNA repair and mutagenesis are induced. The SOS uses the RecA protein . The RecA protein, stimulated by single-stranded DNA, is involved in the inactivation of the LexA repressor thereby inducing the response...

. Nutritional changes may also cause bacterial filamentation. Some of the key genes involved in filamentation in E.coli include sulA and minCD.
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