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Related Experiment Video

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Fluorescence Live-cell Imaging of the Complete Vegetative Cell Cycle of the Slow-growing Social Bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

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Published on: June 20, 2018

Myxobacteria, polarity, and multicellular morphogenesis.

Dale Kaiser¹, Mark Robinson, Lee Kroos

¹Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. adkaiser@stanford.edu

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology

|July 9, 2010

Summary

Myxobacteria swarm and form species-specific fruiting bodies. Cell reversals, regulated by a G-protein switch, are crucial for swarming and development, with reduced frequency enabling aggregation.

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Recording Multicellular Behavior in Myxococcus xanthus Biofilms using Time-lapse Microcinematography

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Cell Biology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Myxobacteria exhibit complex multicellular behaviors, including swarming and the formation of species-specific fruiting bodies.
Swarming motility in Myxobacteria relies on individual cell polarity and coordinated movement within high cell-density populations.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying Myxobacteria swarming and fruiting body development.
To investigate the role of cell reversal frequency in coordinating multicellular behaviors.

Main Methods:

Observation of Myxococcus xanthus swarming behavior under starvation conditions.
Analysis of gene expression networks regulating developmental processes.
Investigation of the G-protein switch and oscillator controlling cell reversal frequency.

Main Results:

Cellular polarity and two distinct polar engines (type IV pili and polysaccharide secretion) enable Myxobacteria gliding motility.
Regular periodic reversals of gliding direction are essential for swarming.
Starvation triggers fruiting body development, necessitating a reduction in reversal frequency for cell aggregation.

Conclusions:

The frequency of cell reversals, controlled by a G-protein switch and oscillator, is a key factor coordinating Myxobacteria swarming and developmental transitions.
Developmental gene expression is linked to the suppression of reversals, facilitating the switch from motility to aggregation and sporulation.