Aspartokinase activity and the developmental cycle of Myxococcus xanthus

The relationship between aspartokinase activity and fruiting body formation in Myxococcus xanthus was investigated. Two required amino acids, methionine and isoleucine, which stimulated the enzyme in vitro also inhibited fruiting body formation when added to 0.1% Casitone agar. Threonine, a potent feedback inhibitor of the aspartokinase, completely reversed the effects of methionine and isoleucine both on enzyme activity and fruiting body formation. A mutant, M. xanthus FB-S, which had the unusual property of forming fruiting bodies on 1.0% Casitone agar, also exhibited an altered regulation of aspartokinase activity. Spermidine, which is a strong stimulator of the enzyme in vitro, interfered with the developmental cycle of both M. xanthus FB and FS-S. During glycerol induction of myxospores the level of aspartokinase dropped more than 75% during the first hour. These data indicate a strong correlation between aspartokinase activity and the induction of the developmental cycle in M. xanthus. It is suggested that the decrease in aspartokinase activity results in diaminopimelic acid starvation, blockage of cell wall growth, and subsequent induction of the developmental cycle.