Many cellular processes require proteins to be precisely positioned within the cell. In some cases this can be attributed to passive mechanisms such as recruitment by other proteins in the cell or by exploiting the curvature of the membrane. However, in bacteria, active self-positioning is likely to play a role in multiple processes, including the positioning of the future site of cell division and cytoplasmic protein clusters. How can such dynamic clusters be formed and positioned? Here, we present a model for the self-organization and positioning of dynamic protein clusters into regularly repeating patterns based on a phase-locked Turing pattern. A single peak in the concentration is always positioned at the midpoint of the model cell, and two peaks are positioned at the midpoint of each half. Furthermore, domain growth results in peak splitting and pattern doubling. We argue that the model may explain the regular positioning of the highly conserved structural maintenance of chromosomes complexes on the bacterial nucleoid and that it provides an attractive mechanism for the self-positioning of dynamic protein clusters in other systems.

中文翻译：

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细菌蛋白簇的自组织和定位

许多细胞过程需要蛋白质精确定位在细胞内。在某些情况下，这可以归因于被动机制，例如细胞中其他蛋白质的募集或通过利用膜的曲率募集。但是，在细菌中，主动的自我定位可能会在多个过程中发挥作用，包括未来细胞分裂和细胞质蛋白簇的定位。这样的动态集群如何形成和定位？在这里，我们提出了一个模型，用于基于锁相图灵模式将动态蛋白质簇的自组织和定位成规则重复的模式。浓度中的一个峰始终位于模型单元的中点，两个峰位于每个半部的中点。此外，域增长导致峰分裂和模式加倍。我们认为该模型可以解释细菌核苷上染色体复合物高度保守的结构维持的常规定位，并且它为动态蛋白质簇在其他系统中的自定位提供了有吸引力的机制。