Self-identity barcodes encoded by six expansive polymorphic toxin families discriminate kin in myxobacteria.

ABSTRACT: Myxobacteria are an example of how single-cell individuals can transition into multicellular life by an aggregation strategy. For these and all organisms that consist of social groups of cells, discrimination against, and exclusion of, nonself is critical. In myxobacteria, TraA is a polymorphic cell surface receptor that identifies kin by homotypic binding, and in so doing exchanges outer membrane (OM) proteins and lipids between cells with compatible receptors. However, TraA variability alone is not sufficient to discriminate against all cells, as traA allele diversity is not necessarily high among local strains. To increase discrimination ability, myxobacteria include polymorphic OM lipoprotein toxins called SitA in their delivered cargo, which poison recipient cells that lack the

SUBMITTER: Vassallo CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6900543 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature