Table 3.
Phenotypes of S-motility mutants
| Strain | Relevant genotype | Pili | Fibrils | Coordinated movement of myxo-filaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK1622 | wt | + | + | Yes |
| DZ4148 | frzE | + | + | Yes |
| SW504 | difA | + | − | No |
| SW501 | difE | + | − | No |
| LS300 | dsp | + | − | No |
| DK3470 | dsp | + | − | No |
| DK10407 | pilA | − | + | Yes |
| DK10409 | pilT | # | + | Yes |
| DK10416 | pilB | − | +/− | * |
| DK10405 | tgl | − | +/− | * |
| DK1253 | tgl | − | +/− | * |
| DK1300 | sgl | − | + | Yes |
| CDS | ifp | − | +/− | * |
With the exception of wt DK1622, all other strains are known social motility mutants. The presence of pili and fibril materials was examined by Western blot analyses using anti-PilA antibody and antifibril antibody, respectively. Part of these data is presented in Fig. 4. +, Presence of pili or fibrils; −, absence of pili or fibrils; +/−, reduced fibrils. #, Presence of nonfunctional pili on the cell surface. Coordinated movement of myxo-filaments was examined by time-lapse video microscopy as described in the text. “Yes” indicates coordinated movement. “No” indicates uncoordinated movement. *, Largely coordinated movement with some uncoordinated movement. The myxo-filaments of the frzE mutant exhibited coordinated movement, but moved without cellular reversal. A−S+ filamentous cells were not included because of their nonmotility.