Although most bacteria divide by binary fission, some divide with other methods. Two of these methods are synchronous septation and vivipary.
Synchronous septation involves the bacteria inserting itself into a prey cell’s endosome.
Vivipary involves the parent cell ‘giving birth’ to daughter cells. The daughter cells develop within the parent cell, with 5-8 daughter cells being released when the mother cell breaks apart.
Binary fission is the most common form of bacterial cell division. This involves a couple of different systems working together to tightly control the division. The MinCDE system prevents the polymerisation of FtsZ at the poles of the cell.
MinCDE first involves MinD binding to ATP at the poles of the bacterial cell. MinC, an inhibitor of FtsZ polymerisation, then binds to MinD to form a MinCD complex. As this protein complex is found at the poles of the cell, it is impossible for FtsZ to polymerise anywhere by the centre.
FtsZ polymerises in the middle of the cell, recruiting other proteins to form the septum and constrict the cells into 2. FtsZ is not strong enough to pull the cell walls together independently, and the other proteins must be recruited.