Research report 2007 - Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology
Regulation of developmental progression in Myxococcus xanthus
Authors
Higgs, Penelope Ilsa
Departments
Ökophysiologie (Søgaard-Andersen) (Prof., M.D., Ph.D. Lotte Søgaard-Andersen)
MPI für terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Marburg
Summary
Myxococcus xanthus is a bacterium with multicellular behaviors: In nutrient-limited environments, the cells enter a developmental program leading to spore-filled fruiting bodies. Regulation of the program involves intra- and intercellular signals and coordination of distinct cell populations. To facilitate this behavior, the developmental program is comprised of unusual signal transduction systems that integrate multiple signals.