Abstract
We have presented experimental evidence to support the model that gliding motility of Myxococcus xanthus is driven by surface tension. (i) Motility is inhibited by the addition of sufficient exogenous, nontoxic surfactants to swamp out the cells' own surfactant gradient. (ii) M. xanthus does not move polystyrene latex beads over its surface. (iii) Motility is prevented by elimination of an interfacial surface tension either by embedding the cells in soft agar or by placing them at an agar-aqueous interface. (iv) Wild-type cells excrete surfactant, whereas two nonmotile mutants excrete reduced amounts.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bretscher A. P., Kaiser D. Nutrition of Myxococcus xanthus, a fruiting myxobacterium. J Bacteriol. 1978 Feb;133(2):763–768. doi: 10.1128/jb.133.2.763-768.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Burchard R. P. Gliding motility mutants of Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1970 Nov;104(2):940–947. doi: 10.1128/jb.104.2.940-947.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Burchard R. P. Gliding motility of prokaryotes: ultrastructure, physiology, and genetics. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1981;35:497–529. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.35.100181.002433. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- DWORKIN M., GIBSON S. M. A SYSTEM FOR STUDYING MICROBIAL MORPHOGENESIS: RAPID FORMATION OF MICROCYSTS IN MYXOCOCCUS XANTHUS. Science. 1964 Oct 9;146(3641):243–244. doi: 10.1126/science.146.3641.243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hakenbeck R., Martin C., Morelli G. Streptococcus pneumoniae proteins released into medium upon inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis. J Bacteriol. 1983 Sep;155(3):1372–1381. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.3.1372-1381.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lapidus I. R., Berg H. C. Gliding motility of Cytophaga sp. strain U67. J Bacteriol. 1982 Jul;151(1):384–398. doi: 10.1128/jb.151.1.384-398.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Orndorff P. E., Dworkin M. Separation and properties of the cytoplasmic and outer membranes of vegetative cells of Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1980 Feb;141(2):914–927. doi: 10.1128/jb.141.2.914-927.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Weisberg D. S., Dworkin M. Method for measuring changes in surface tension on agar. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Apr;45(4):1338–1341. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.4.1338-1341.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]