Genetic and environmental determinants of streaming and aggregation in Myxococcus xanthus.

ABSTRACT: Under starvation conditions, a spot of a few million Myxococcus xanthus cells on agar will migrate inward to form aggregates that mature into dome-shaped fruiting bodies. This migration is thought to occur within structures called 'streams,' which are considered crucial for initiating aggregation. The prevailing traffic jam model hypothesizes that intersections of streams cause cell crowding and 'jamming,' thereby initiating the process of aggregate formation. However, this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested, in part due to the lack of a standardized, quantifiable definition of streams. To address this gap, we captured time-lapse movies and conducted fluorescent cell tracking experiments using wild-type and two motility-deficient mutant M. xanthus strains. By quantitatively defining

SUBMITTER: Khan TT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12368150 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature