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Related Experiment Videos

Dynamics of fruiting body morphogenesis.

Dale Kaiser1, Roy Welch

  • 1Departments of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA. kaiser@cmgm.stanford.edu

Journal of Bacteriology
|February 6, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Myxococcus xanthus cells aggregate using local interactions, forming traffic jams that resolve into orbiting cell streams. This process is driven by two motility engines and cell wall flexibility, leading to multicellular fruiting body development.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cellular Motility

Background:

  • Myxobacteria, such as Myxococcus xanthus, exhibit complex multicellular development, including the formation of species-specific fruiting bodies.
  • Cellular aggregation is a critical initial step in this developmental process, involving coordinated cell movement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the novel mechanisms and early steps involved in the developmental aggregation of Myxococcus xanthus.
  • To elucidate the roles of cellular motility engines and physical interactions in aggregate formation.

Main Methods:

  • Frame-by-frame analysis of time-lapse microscopy footage capturing the formation and evolution of Myxococcus xanthus aggregates.
  • Analysis of still photographs of numerous aggregates to identify developmental patterns.

Main Results:

  • Early aggregates resemble stationary 'traffic jams' where cell motility engines stall due to physical blockades.
  • Cellular turning, facilitated by slime secretion and cell wall flexibility, transforms traffic jams into elliptical mounds with cells in closed orbits.
  • Adjacent mounds can coalesce, suggesting the fusion of cellular streams.

Conclusions:

  • Myxococcus xanthus aggregation relies on local cell-cell interactions rather than long-range signaling.
  • A model is proposed where stalled motility and subsequent turning drive the transition from initial cell masses to organized multicellular structures.

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