<i>Myxococcus xanthus</i> fruiting body morphology is important for spore recovery after exposure to environmental stress.

ABSTRACT: Environmental microorganisms have evolved a variety of strategies to survive fluctuations in environmental conditions, including the production of biofilms and differentiation into spores. Myxococcus xanthus are ubiquitous soil bacteria that produce starvation-induced multicellular fruiting bodies filled with environmentally resistant spores (a specialized biofilm). Isolated spores have been shown to be more resistant than vegetative cells to heat, ultraviolet radiation, and desiccation. The evolutionary advantage of producing spores inside fruiting bodies is not clear. Here, we examine a hypothesis that the fruiting body provides additional protection from environmental insults. We developed a high-throughput method to compare the recovery (outgrowth) of distinct cell types (vegeta

SUBMITTER: Lall D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11497814 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature