ZipA is an element of the bacterial division ring complex that provides an anchor to the membrane to FtsZ, a GTPase ancestor of tubulin. In vitro reconstitution and characterization of these interactions is challenged by the difficulty to integrate a physiological membrane environment. Here a single copy of the full-length ZipA protein from Escherichia cob incorporated into phospholipid bilayer nanodiscs (Nd-ZipA) has been visualized using negative-staining electron microscopy (EM). The EM images reveal the presence of discs, mostly organized in two distinct populations of 11 and 13 nm in diameter. The globular FtsZ-binding C-terminal domain of ZipA (ZBD) was not visible in 3D reconstructions of Nd-ZipA or 2D averages, suggesting that this domain is separated from the membrane by the large flexible domain connecting the N-terminal trans-membrane region to the ZBD. We tested if Nd-ZipA were appropriate models for the in vitro reconstitution of ZipA-FtsZ interactions. First we observed that the ZBD region of ZipA was accessible for the interaction with other proteins in the context of the nanodisc, as revealed by its recognition by specific antibodies. In addition, Nd-ZipA attached to carbon coated EM grids, but not empty nanodiscs, were able to capture FtsZ filaments without inducing significant filament bundling, consistent with a model in which FtsZ filaments are loosely attached to the cell-membrane. These observations are compatible with the plastic nature of the ZipA-FtsZ complexes formed at the membrane, evidenced in the moderate binding affinity of Nd-ZipA to FtsZ oligomers and polymers recently measured. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.