Mechanisms of Adventurous-motility in Myxococcus xanthus

Stanford University, Stanford CA

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Abstract

Embryonic development of vertebrates requires coordinated multicellular movements, but little is known about how such movements are regulated. Vertebrates are not easily subjected to intrusive experimental manipulations, so a simpler organism that displays similar behavior is better suited for this type of study. The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus serves as an ideal organism for studying multi- cellular movements, as M. xanthus cells move as communal swarms by gliding and assemble into complex multi-cellular fruiting bodies, followed by differentiation of myxospoes when nutrients are limited. Gliding motility in M. xanthus is controlled by two independent genetic systems: Adventurous (A) and Social (S). The S-system provides movement for cells in close proximity and depends on type IV pili. The A-system provides motility for isolated cells, but the mechanism remains unclear. The main goal of this proposal is to understand mechanism of A-motility by identifying the A-genes. The correlation between A- motility by identifying the A-genes. The correlation between A-motility and elasticotaxis, and coordination of the two independent motility systems in M. xanthus will also be investigated.