Extracellular fibrils and contact-mediated cell interactions in Myxococcus xanthus

Behmlander, R M; Dworkin, Martin

doi:10.1128/jb.173.24.7810-7820.1991

Cited by 94 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The dif mutants lack extracellular fibril material. SEM observations had originally defined ''fibrils'' as a matrix material consisting of branching extensions Ϸ30 nm in diameter that surrounds the wild-type cells (23,24). Later studies revealed that these fibrils likely form a mesh of extracellular polymeric substances over the entire cell body (25,31).…”

Section: Xanthus Cell Organization In a Socialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contact-mediated cell-cell interactions are an important aspect of the social behavior of M. xanthus and are facilitated by extracellular fibril material that exists on the surface of the cells (17,23,24). The force-spectroscopy capacity of AFM allows us to investigate the nanomechanical properties of the M. xanthus surface adhesive molecules.…”

Section: In Vivo Force Spectroscopy Of Extracellular Fibrils On the Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have revealed that TFP-dependent surface motilities are achieved through TFP extension and attachment to an external substrate followed by retraction, which pulls the cells forward (20)(21)(22). Extracellular fibril material has been visualized under SEM as 30-to 50-nm-thick intercellular fibers (23) that form a mesh-like network surrounding the cell body (24). Because mutants lacking fibril material are unable to agglutinate in liquid suspension, it was hypothesized that cohesion is the major role of fibril material (23).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Nanoscale visualization and characterization of Myxococcus xanthus cells with atomic force microscopy

Pelling

Shi

et al. 2005

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

110

109

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Multicellular microbial communities are the predominant form of existence for microorganisms in nature. As one of the most primitive social organisms, Myxococcus xanthus has been an ideal model bacterium for studying intercellular interaction and multicellular organization. Through previous genetic and EM studies, various extracellular appendages and matrix components have been found to be involved in the social behavior of M. xanthus, but none of them was directly visualized and analyzed under native conditions. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and in vivo force spectroscopy to characterize these cellular structures under native conditions. AFM imaging revealed morphological details on the extracellular ultrastructures at an unprecedented resolution, and in vivo force spectroscopy of live cells in fluid allowed us to nanomechanically characterize extracellular polymeric substances. The findings provide the basis for AFM as a useful tool for investigating microbial-surface ultrastructures and nanomechanical properties under native conditions. force spectroscopy ͉ nonomechanics ͉ bacteria ͉ swarm

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Section: Xanthus Cell Organization In a Socialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: In Vivo Force Spectroscopy Of Extracellular Fibrils On the Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nanoscale visualization and characterization of Myxococcus xanthus cells with atomic force microscopy

Pelling

Shi

et al. 2005

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

110

109

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“…M. xanthus fibrils are thought to be peritrichous, filamentous structures 10 to 30 nm in diameter and can be many times the length of the cells (13,22). They have been observed to link neighboring cells or to link cells to the substratum they glide over (2,5,26). The fibril-defective dsp mutants are deficient in S motility (2,3,29).…”

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confidence: 99%

Myxococcus xanthus dif Genes Are Required for Biogenesis of Cell Surface Fibrils Essential for Social Gliding Motility

et al. 2000

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Myxococcus xanthus social (S) gliding motility has been previously reported by us to require the chemotaxis homologues encoded by the dif genes. In addition, two cell surface structures, type IV pili and extracellular matrix fibrils, are also critical to M. xanthus S motility. We have demonstrated here that M. xanthus dif genes are required for the biogenesis of fibrils but not for that of type IV pili. Furthermore, the developmental defects of dif mutants can be partially rescued by the addition of isolated fibril materials. Along with the chemotaxis genes of various swarming bacteria and the pilGHIJ genes of the twitching bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the M. xanthus dif genes belong to a unique class of bacterial chemotaxis genes or homologues implicated in the biogenesis of structures required for bacterial surface locomotion. Genetic studies indicate that the dif genes are linked to the M. xanthus dsp region, a locus known to be crucial for M. xanthus fibril biogenesis and S gliding.

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“…2B). mAb 2105 has been shown to react specifically with a group of fibril proteins (Behmlander and Dworkin, 1991). Behmlander and Dworkin (1994) originally suggested that these represent multimers of a single subunit; subsequently, Smith (1996) showed that the proteins are encoded by at least two separate genes.…”

Section: Fibrils Contained Both the Substrate And Transferase Necessamentioning

confidence: 99%

ADP‐ribosylation by the extracellular fibrils of Myxococcus xanthus

Hildebrandt

Eastman

Dworkin

1997

Molecular Microbiology

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SummaryThe isolated, extracellular fibrils of the myxobacterium, Myxococcus xanthus, are capable of carrying out ADP-ribosylation. The substrate for the ADP-ribosylation is reactive with monoclonal antibody 2105, which has been shown to be directed specifically against the integral fibril proteins. The extracellular fibrils thus contain both the ADP-ribosyl transferase and the substrate for the ribosylation. This process may play a role in the contact-mediated cell-cell interactions that are an important part of the social behaviour of M. xanthus.

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Extracellular fibrils and contact-mediated cell interactions in Myxococcus xanthus

Cited by 94 publications

References 26 publications

Nanoscale visualization and characterization of Myxococcus xanthus cells with atomic force microscopy

Nanoscale visualization and characterization of Myxococcus xanthus cells with atomic force microscopy

Myxococcus xanthus dif Genes Are Required for Biogenesis of Cell Surface Fibrils Essential for Social Gliding Motility

ADP‐ribosylation by the extracellular fibrils of Myxococcus xanthus

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