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Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

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Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

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When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
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Global copper response of the soil bacterial predator Myxococcus xanthus and its contribution to antibiotic cross-resistance.

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Milestones in the development of <i>Myxococcus xanthus</i> as a model multicellular bacterium.

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Myxococcus xanthus predation: an updated overview.

Francisco Javier Contreras-Moreno1, Juana Pérez1, José Muñoz-Dorado1

  • 1Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|February 8, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Myxococcus xanthus, a soil bacterium, uses multiple strategies like motility, secreted enzymes, and direct cell contact to hunt and kill prey. Metals also influence this bacterial predation process.

Keywords:
bacterial interactionbacterial predationhydrolytic enzymesmetalsmotilitymyxobacteriapredator-prey interactionssecondary metabolites

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Ecology
  • Bacterial Predation

Background:

  • Myxococcus xanthus is a soil-dwelling bacterium known for its complex lifecycle and predatory capabilities.
  • Predation is crucial for shaping soil microbial communities, yet M. xanthus predation mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • This bacterium preys on diverse organisms, including other bacteria and eukaryotes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on Myxococcus xanthus predation mechanisms.
  • To highlight recent discoveries and transcriptomic data related to M. xanthus predation.
  • To consolidate understanding of how M. xanthus hunts, kills, and consumes prey.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on Myxococcus xanthus predation.
  • Analysis of transcriptomic data to understand gene expression during predation.
  • Synthesis of information on motility, secreted factors, contact-dependent systems, and metal-mediated effects.

Main Results:

  • M. xanthus employs synergistic mechanisms for predation, including motility for tracking, secreted enzymes, and hydrolytic enzymes for prey degradation.
  • Contact-dependent killing involves Tad-like and type III secretion systems.
  • Metals play a role by inducing oxidative stress or competing for essential nutrients.

Conclusions:

  • Myxococcus xanthus predation is a multifactorial process involving diverse molecular and cellular strategies.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is key to comprehending soil microbial community dynamics.
  • Further research integrating transcriptomic data offers insights into the intricacies of bacterial predation.