Architecturally the same, but playing a different game

Homologs of the Bacillus subtilis DivIVA protein can be found in a wide variety of Gram-positive bacteria. DivIVA proteins are coiled-coil proteins that bind to the cytosolic face of the cytoplasmic membrane and accumulate at membrane regions with higher curvature. By directly interacting with downstream proteins they serve as spatial regulators of other cellular processes. Initial DivIVA studies focused on its role as a topological determinant for the MinCDJ division inhibiting complex in B. subtilis, but recent evidence suggests that DivIVA can fulfill more diverse roles in different species of the firmicutes and actinomycetes and can even be relevant for virulence.