scholarly journals Methylation of FrzCD Defines a Discrete Step in the Developmental Program of Myxococcus xanthus

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (21) ◽  
pp. 5765-5768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongzhi Geng ◽  
Zhaomin Yang ◽  
John Downard ◽  
David Zusman ◽  
Wenyuan Shi
Keyword(s):  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
Developmental Program ◽  
Discrete Step ◽  
Cellular Aggregation ◽  
Adaptation Response ◽  
Social Motility ◽  
Early Developmental

ABSTRACT Myxococcus xanthus is a gram-negative soil bacterium which undergoes fruiting body formation during starvation. Thefrz signal transduction system has been found to play an important role in this process. FrzCD, a methyl-accepting taxis protein homologue, shows modulated methylation during cellular aggregation, which is thought to be part of an adaptation response to an aggregation signal. In this study, we assayed FrzCD methylation in many known and newly isolated mutants defective in fruiting body formation to determine a possible relationship between the methylation response and fruiting morphology. The results of our analysis indicated that the developmental mutants could be divided into two groups based on their ability to show normal FrzCD methylation during development. Many mutants blocked early in development, i.e., nonaggregating or abnormally aggregating mutants, showed poor FrzCD methylation. The well-characterized asg, bsg, csg, and esg mutants were found to be of this type. The defects in FrzCD methylation of these signaling mutants could be partially rescued by extracellular complementation with wild-type cells or addition of chemicals which restore their fruiting body formation. Mutants blocked in late development, i.e., translucent mounds, showed normal FrzCD methylation. Surprisingly, some mutants blocked in early development also exhibited a normal level of FrzCD methylation. The characterized mutants in this group were found to be defective in social motility. This indicates that FrzCD methylation defines a discrete step in the development of M. xanthus and that social motility mutants are not blocked in these early developmental steps.

scholarly journals New Locus Important for Myxococcus Social Motility and Development

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (21) ◽  
pp. 7937-7941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui-ying Zhang ◽  
Ke Cai ◽  
Hong Liu ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Hong-wei Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Gliding Motility ◽  
Salt Tolerant ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
Homologous Genes ◽  
Body Development ◽  
Fruiting Body Development ◽  
Social Motility

ABSTRACT The mts locus in salt-tolerant Myxococcus fulvus HW-1 was found to be critical for gliding motility, fruiting-body formation, and sporulation. The homologous genes in Myxococcus xanthus are also important for social motility and fruiting-body development. The mts genes were determined to be involved in cell-cell cohesion in both myxobacterial species.

scholarly journals SigF, a New Sigma Factor Required for a Motility System of Myxococcus xanthus

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (24) ◽  
pp. 8537-8541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Ueki ◽  
Chun-Ying Xu ◽  
Sumiko Inouye
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Sigma Factor ◽  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Growth Analysis ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Motility

ABSTRACT A new sigma factor, SigF, was identified from the social and developmental bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. SigF is required for fruiting body formation during development as well as social motility during vegetative growth. Analysis of gene expression indicates that it is possible that the sigF gene is involved in regulation of an unidentified gene for social motility.

scholarly journals A DnaK Homolog in Myxococcus xanthus Is Involved in Social Motility and Fruiting Body Formation

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaomin Yang ◽  
Yongzhi Geng ◽  
Wenyuan Shi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Complex Life Cycle ◽  
Phenotypic Characterization ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cellular Aggregation ◽  
Social Motility

ABSTRACT Myxococcus xanthus is a gram-negative soil bacterium which exhibits a complex life cycle and social behavior. In this study, two developmental mutants of M. xanthus were isolated through Tn5 transposon mutagenesis. The mutants were found to be defective in cellular aggregation as well as in sporulation. Further phenotypic characterization indicated that the mutants were defective in social motility but normal in directed cell movements. Both mutations were cloned by a transposon-tagging method. Sequence analysis indicated that both insertions occurred in the same gene, which encodes a homolog of DnaK. Unlike the dnaK genes in other bacteria, this M. xanthus homolog appears not to be regulated by temperature or heat shock and is constitutively expressed during vegetative growth and under starvation. The defects of the mutants indicate that this DnaK homolog is important for the social motility and development of M. xanthus.

scholarly journals FibA and PilA act cooperatively during fruiting body formation of Myxococcus xanthus

2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1283-1293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela J. Bonner ◽  
Wesley P. Black ◽  
Zhaomin Yang ◽  
Lawrence J. Shimkets
Keyword(s):  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Body Formation

scholarly journals Multicellular Development in Myxococcus xanthus Is Stimulated by Predator-Prey Interactions

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (15) ◽  
pp. 5675-5682 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Berleman ◽  
John R. Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Stringent Response ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Multicellular Development ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
Body Development

ABSTRACT Myxococcus xanthus is a predatory bacterium that exhibits complex social behavior. The most pronounced behavior is the aggregation of cells into raised fruiting body structures in which cells differentiate into stress-resistant spores. In the laboratory, monocultures of M. xanthus at a very high density will reproducibly induce hundreds of randomly localized fruiting bodies when exposed to low nutrient availability and a solid surface. In this report, we analyze how M. xanthus fruiting body development proceeds in a coculture with suitable prey. Our analysis indicates that when prey bacteria are provided as a nutrient source, fruiting body aggregation is more organized, such that fruiting bodies form specifically after a step-down or loss of prey availability, whereas a step-up in prey availability inhibits fruiting body formation. This localization of aggregates occurs independently of the basal nutrient levels tested, indicating that starvation is not required for this process. Analysis of early developmental signaling relA and asgD mutants indicates that they are capable of forming fruiting body aggregates in the presence of prey, demonstrating that the stringent response and A-signal production are surprisingly not required for the initiation of fruiting behavior. However, these strains are still defective in differentiating to spores. We conclude that fruiting body formation does not occur exclusively in response to starvation and propose an alternative model in which multicellular development is driven by the interactions between M. xanthus cells and their cognate prey.

scholarly journals Self-Driven Phase Transitions Drive Myxococcus xanthus Fruiting Body Formation

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guannan Liu ◽  
Adam Patch ◽  
Fatmagül Bahar ◽  
David Yllanes ◽  
Roy D. Welch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Body Formation

scholarly journals Aggregation during Fruiting Body Formation in Myxococcus xanthus Is Driven by Reducing Cell Movement

2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (2) ◽  
pp. 611-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleksii Sliusarenko ◽  
David R. Zusman ◽  
George Oster
Keyword(s):  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Cell Movement ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Cell Velocity ◽  
Reversal Frequency

ABSTRACT When starved, Myxococcus xanthus cells assemble themselves into aggregates of about 105 cells that grow into complex structures called fruiting bodies, where they later sporulate. Here we present new observations on the velocities of the cells, their orientations, and reversal rates during the early stages of fruiting body formation. Most strikingly, we find that during aggregation, cell velocities slow dramatically and cells orient themselves in parallel inside the aggregates, while later cell orientations are circumferential to the periphery. The slowing of cell velocity, rather than changes in reversal frequency, can account for the accumulation of cells into aggregates. These observations are mimicked by a continuous agent-based computational model that reproduces the early stages of fruiting body formation. We also show, both experimentally and computationally, how changes in reversal frequency controlled by the Frz system mutants affect the shape of these early fruiting bodies.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequence of the Fruiting Myxobacterium Myxococcus macrosporus Strain DSM 14697, Generated by PacBio Sequencing

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (40) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Treuner-Lange ◽  
Marc Bruckskotten ◽  
Oliver Rupp ◽  
Alexander Goesmann ◽  
Lotte Søgaard-Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Pacbio Sequencing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
Sequencing Platform ◽  
Developmental Program

ABSTRACT Members of the Myxococcales order initiate a developmental program in response to starvation that culminates in formation of spore-filled fruiting bodies. To investigate the genetic basis for fruiting body formation, we present the complete 8.9-Mb genome sequence of Myxococcus macrosporus strain DSM 14697, generated using the PacBio sequencing platform.

scholarly journals Directional reversals enable Myxococcus xanthus cells to produce collective one-dimensional streams during fruiting-body formation

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (109) ◽  
pp. 20150049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shashi Thutupalli ◽  
Mingzhai Sun ◽  
Filiz Bunyak ◽  
Kannappan Palaniappan ◽  
Joshua W. Shaevitz
Keyword(s):  
Fruiting Body ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Fruiting Body Formation ◽  
Body Formation ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Motile Cells ◽  
Cell Groups ◽  
Open Question

The formation of a collectively moving group benefits individuals within a population in a variety of ways. The surface-dwelling bacterium Myxococcus xanthus forms dynamic collective groups both to feed on prey and to aggregate during times of starvation. The latter behaviour, termed fruiting-body formation, involves a complex, coordinated series of density changes that ultimately lead to three-dimensional aggregates comprising hundreds of thousands of cells and spores. How a loose, two-dimensional sheet of motile cells produces a fixed aggregate has remained a mystery as current models of aggregation are either inconsistent with experimental data or ultimately predict unstable structures that do not remain fixed in space. Here, we use high-resolution microscopy and computer vision software to spatio-temporally track the motion of thousands of individuals during the initial stages of fruiting-body formation. We find that cells undergo a phase transition from exploratory flocking, in which unstable cell groups move rapidly and coherently over long distances, to a reversal-mediated localization into one-dimensional growing streams that are inherently stable in space. These observations identify a new phase of active collective behaviour and answer a long-standing open question in Myxococcus development by describing how motile cell groups can remain statistically fixed in a spatial location.

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