Unipolar Peptidoglycan Synthesis in the Rhizobiales Requires an Essential Class A Penicillin-Binding Protein

While the structure and function of the bacterial cell wall are well conserved, the mechanisms responsible for cell wall biosynthesis during elongation are variable. It is increasingly clear that rod-shaped bacteria use a diverse array of growth strategies with distinct spatial zones of cell wall biosynthesis, including lateral elongation, unipolar growth, bipolar elongation, and medial elongation.