Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1989 Nov;171(11):6013–6024. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.11.6013-6024.1989

Patterns of cellular interactions during fruiting-body formation in Myxococcus xanthus.

K A O'Connor 1, D R Zusman 1
PMCID: PMC210466  PMID: 2509425

Abstract

Aggregation and mound formation during development of the myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus were examined by scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Several complex patterns of multicellular associations were observed. These observations imply that complex, organized cell-cell interactions occur during the process of development. Examination of sliced aggregates revealed that, contrary to common perception, the process of sporulation commenced during mound formation rather than after the completion of mound morphogenesis. The morphogenesis of M. xanthus fruiting bodies is compared with the morphogenesis of fruiting bodies of other members of the Myxobacteriales previously described in the literature.

Full text

PDF
6024

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bonner J. T., Barkley D. S., Hall E. M., Konijn T. M., Mason J. W., O'Keefe G., 3rd, Wolfe P. B. Acrasin, Acrasinase, and the sensitivity to acrasin in Dictyostelium discoideum. Dev Biol. 1969 Jul;20(1):72–87. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(69)90005-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Campos J. M., Geisselsoder J., Zusman D. R. Isolation of bacteriophage MX4, a generalized transducing phage for Myxococcus xanthus. J Mol Biol. 1978 Feb 25;119(2):167–178. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(78)90431-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cumsky M., Zusman D. R. Myxobacterial hemagglutinin: a development-specific lectin of Myxococcus xanthus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Nov;76(11):5505–5509. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.11.5505. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DWORKIN M. Nutritional requirements for vegetative growth of Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1962 Aug;84:250–257. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.2.250-257.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gill R. E., Cull M. G. Control of developmental gene expression by cell-to-cell interactions in Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1986 Oct;168(1):341–347. doi: 10.1128/jb.168.1.341-347.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Grilione P. L., Pangborn J. Scanning electron microscopy of fruiting body formation by myxobacteria. J Bacteriol. 1975 Dec;124(3):1558–1565. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.3.1558-1565.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hagen D. C., Bretscher A. P., Kaiser D. Synergism between morphogenetic mutants of Myxococcus xanthus. Dev Biol. 1978 Jun;64(2):284–296. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(78)90079-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Inouye M., Inouye S., Zusman D. R. Biosynthesis and self-assembly of protein S, a development-specific protein of Myxococcus xanthus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Jan;76(1):209–213. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.1.209. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Inouye S., Ike Y., Inouye M. Tandem repeat of the genes for protein S, a development-specific protein of Myxococcus xanthus. J Biol Chem. 1983 Jan 10;258(1):38–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kroos L., Kuspa A., Kaiser D. A global analysis of developmentally regulated genes in Myxococcus xanthus. Dev Biol. 1986 Sep;117(1):252–266. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(86)90368-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kuner J. M., Kaiser D. Fruiting body morphogenesis in submerged cultures of Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1982 Jul;151(1):458–461. doi: 10.1128/jb.151.1.458-461.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lampky J. R. Ultrastructure of Polyangium cellulosum. J Bacteriol. 1976 Jun;126(3):1278–1284. doi: 10.1128/jb.126.3.1278-1284.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McBride M. J., Weinberg R. A., Zusman D. R. "Frizzy" aggregation genes of the gliding bacterium Myxococcus xanthus show sequence similarities to the chemotaxis genes of enteric bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Jan;86(2):424–428. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.2.424. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Morrison C. E., Zusman D. R. Myxococcus xanthus mutants with temperature-sensitive, stage-specific defects: evidence for independent pathways in development. J Bacteriol. 1979 Dec;140(3):1036–1042. doi: 10.1128/jb.140.3.1036-1042.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. O'Connor K. A., Zusman D. R. Reexamination of the role of autolysis in the development of Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1988 Sep;170(9):4103–4112. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.9.4103-4112.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Romeo J. M., Esmon B., Zusman D. R. Nucleotide sequence of the myxobacterial hemagglutinin gene contains four homologous domains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Sep;83(17):6332–6336. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.17.6332. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Shimkets L. J., Asher S. J. Use of recombination techniques to examine the structure of the csg locus of Myxococcus xanthus. Mol Gen Genet. 1988 Jan;211(1):63–71. doi: 10.1007/BF00338394. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Shimkets L. J. Control of morphogenesis in myxobacteria. Crit Rev Microbiol. 1987;14(3):195–227. doi: 10.3109/10408418709104439. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Shimkets L. J., Kaiser D. Induction of coordinated movement of Myxococcus xanthus cells. J Bacteriol. 1982 Oct;152(1):451–461. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.1.451-461.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Vasquez G. M., Qualls F., White D. Morphogenesis of Stigmatella aurantiaca fruiting bodies. J Bacteriol. 1985 Aug;163(2):515–521. doi: 10.1128/jb.163.2.515-521.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wireman J. W., Dworkin M. Developmentally induced autolysis during fruiting body formation by Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1977 Feb;129(2):798–802. doi: 10.1128/jb.129.2.798-802.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wireman J. W., Dworkin M. Morphogenesis and developmental interactions in myxobacteria. Science. 1975 Aug 15;189(4202):516–523. doi: 10.1126/science.806967. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zusman D. R. "Frizzy" mutants: a new class of aggregation-defective developmental mutants of Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1982 Jun;150(3):1430–1437. doi: 10.1128/jb.150.3.1430-1437.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES