FtsZ filament dynamics at steady state: subunit exchange with and without nucleotide hydrolysis

Three aspects of FtsZ filament dynamics, namely, rates of GTP hydrolysis, subunit exchange between protofilaments, and disassembly induced by dilution or excess GDP measured at steady state are reported. The exchange of subunits between protofilaments at steady state involved two separate mechanisms, fragmentation or dissociation of subunits from protofilament which terminated following GTP hydrolysis and reversible association and dissociation of subunits from protofilament that terminated independent of hydrolysis.