Lipid body formation plays a central role in cell fate determination during developmental differentiation of Myxococcus xanthus

Abstract

SummaryCell differentiation is widespread during the development of multicellular organisms, but rarely observed in prokaryotes. One example of prokaryotic differentiation is the Gram-negative bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. In response to starvation, this gliding bacterium initiates a complex developmental programme that results in the formation of spore-filled fruiting bodies. How the cells metabolically support the necessary complex cellular differentiation from rodshaped vegetative cells into spherical spores is unknown. Here, we present evidence that intracellular lipid bodies provide the necessary metabolic fuel for the development of spores. Formed at the onset of starvation, these lipid bodies gradually disappear until they are completely used up by the time the cells have become mature spores. Moreover, it appears that lipid body formation in M. xanthus is an important initial step indicating cell fate during differentiation. Upon starvation, two subpopulations of cells occur: cells that form lipid bodies invariably develop into spores, while cells that do not form lipid bodies end up becoming peripheral rods, which are cells that lack signs of morphological differentiation and stay in a vegetative-like state. These data indicate that lipid bodies not only fuel cellular differentiation but that their formation represents the first known morphological sign indicating cell fate during differentiation.

Fatty Acid-Related Phylogeny of Myxobacteria as an Approach to Discover Polyunsaturated Omega-3/6 Fatty Acids

“…Certain species of Corallococcus and Myxococcus have been used as the preferred models in most FA biosynthesis (1,4,42) and developmental studies (2,13,26,41). In Pyxidicoccus, the FA composition was evaluated here for the first time.…”

A comprehensive insight into the lipid composition of Myxococcus xanthus by UPLC-ESI-MS

“…The relatively low proportion of PGs is consistent with results from Orndorff and Dworkin ( 15 ) ( Table 1 ). Neutral lipids, especially TGs, gave strong signals as ammonium adducts, although they are less prevalent in vegetative cells ( 10 ). Their molecular diversity seems to be even higher than that of the polar lipids.…”

Division of Labor in Biofilms: the Ecology of Cell Differentiation

“…As cells undergo the morphological changes required to become spores, the lipid bodies are consumed. Therefore, it has been proposed that the lipid bodies provide the energy required for cells to sporulate (80). There is also a significant portion of the cells that lyse during fruiting body formation.…”

“…This subpopulation is proposed to function as persister cells which do not undergo cell division but are likely ready to respond to any sudden increase in nutrients (73,79). In addition to exhibiting a different protein profile than spores and presporulating cells, peripheral rods also lack the presence of lipid bodies that are found in cells that are destined to become spores (73,80). As cells undergo the morphological changes required to become spores, the lipid bodies are consumed.…”