FtsZ is a
protein encoded by the
ftsZ gene that assembles into a ring at the future site of the
septum of
bacterial cell division. This is a
prokaryotic homologue to the
eukaryotic protein
tubulin. FtsZ has been named after "
Filamenting
temperature-
sensitive mutant
Z". The hypothesis was that cell division mutants of
E. coli would grow as filaments due to the inability of the daughter cells to separate from one another.