Complete Genome Sequence of the Myxobacterium Sorangium Cellulosum

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Complete Genome Sequence of the Myxobacterium Sorangium Cellulosum ARTICLES Complete genome sequence of the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum Susanne Schneiker1,17, Olena Perlova2,17, Olaf Kaiser1, Klaus Gerth3, Aysel Alici1, Matthias O Altmeyer2, Daniela Bartels4, Thomas Bekel4, Stefan Beyer3, Edna Bode2, Helge B Bode2, Christoph J Bolten5, Jomuna V Choudhuri4,SabrinaDoss6,YasserAElnakady2,BettinaFrank2, Lars Gaigalat1, Alexander Goesmann3, Carolin Groeger6,FrankGross2, Lars Jelsbak7, Lotte Jelsbak8,Jo¨rn Kalinowski4,CarstenKegler2, Tina Knauber6, Sebastian Konietzny4,MarenKopp2,LutzKrause4,DanielKrug2, Bukhard Linke4,TaifoMahmud9, Rosa Martinez-Arias3,AliceCMcHardy4,MichelleMerai2, Folker Meyer4, Sascha Mormann1, Jose Mun˜oz-Dorado10,JuanaPerez10, Silke Pradella3, Shwan Rachid2,Gu¨nter Raddatz11, Frank Rosenau12, Christian Ru¨ckert1, Florenz Sasse3,MarenScharfe3, Stephan C Schuster13,GarretSuen14,AnkeTreuner-Lange6, Gregory J Velicer15,Frank-Jo¨rg Vorho¨lter1,KiraJWeissman2,RoyDWelch14, Silke C Wenzel2, http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology David E Whitworth16, Susanne Wilhelm12,ChristophWittmann5,HelmutBlo¨cker3,AlfredPu¨hler1 &RolfMu¨ller2 The genus Sorangium synthesizes approximately half of the secondary metabolites isolated from myxobacteria, including the anti-cancer metabolite epothilone. We report the complete genome sequence of the model Sorangium strain S. cellulosum So ce56, which produces several natural products and has morphological and physiological properties typical of the genus. The circular genome, comprising 13,033,779 base pairs, is the largest bacterial genome sequenced to date. No global synteny with the genome of Myxococcus xanthus is apparent, revealing an unanticipated level of divergence between these myxobacteria. A large percentage of the genome is devoted to regulation, particularly post-translational phosphorylation, which probably supports the strain’s complex, social lifestyle. This regulatory network includes the highest number of eukaryotic protein kinase–like kinases discovered in any organism. Seventeen secondary metabolite loci are encoded in the genome, as well as many enzymes Nature Publishing Group Group Nature Publishing with potential utility in industry. 7 200 © Natural products and their derivatives provide the basis for medicines formation and morphological differentiation culminating in complex targeting a wide range of human diseases. The Gram-negative myxo- multicellular structures called fruiting bodies4. Three myxobacterial bacteria, members of the d-subgroup of proteobacteria, are an suborders are known5 and the availability of the genome sequence of important source of novel classes of secondary metabolites1.Of Myxococcus xanthus (Cystobacterineae)6 enables comparative analysis these, the genus Sorangium is particularly valuable, as 46% of with the Sorangium cellulosum (Sorangiineae) genome to illuminate metabolites isolated from myxobacteria1, including the potent anti- the basis for several important behavioral and metabolic differences. tumor compound epothilone2, derive from this group. The majority These include the ability of Sorangium strains to degrade complex of myxobacterial metabolites are polyketides, nonribosomal polypep- plant materials (Fig. 1). S. cellulosum So ce56, an obligate aerobe, was tides or hybrids of the two structures, many of which are synthesized established previously as a model Sorangium strain7 by virtue of its on gigantic molecular assembly lines composed of polyketide favorable growth characteristics and ability to differentiate reprodu- synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal polypeptide synthetase (NRPS) cibly under laboratory conditions. It synthesizes the cytotoxic multienzymes3. Sorangium strains exhibit additional characteristic chivosazoles7 and the catecholate-type siderophores myxochelins8. features, including ‘social behavior’, cell movement by gliding, biofilm Comparison of the complete genome sequence of strain S. cellulosum 1Department of Genetics, Bielefeld University, PO Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany. 2Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, PO Box 151150, D-66041 Saarbru¨cken, Germany. 3Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (formerly GBF – German Research Centre for Biotechnology), Inhoffenstrae 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany. 4Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, PO Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany. 5Biochemical Engineering, Saarland University, PO Box 151150, D-66041 Saarbru¨cken, Germany. 6Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26- 32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. 7Infection Microbiology Group, BioCentrum-DTU, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark. 8Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. 9College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3507 USA. 10Departamento de Microbiologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain. 11Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Spemannstr. 34, D-72076 Tuebingen, Germany. 12Institute for Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich-Heine-Universita¨tDu¨sseldorf, Stetternicher Forst, D-52426 Ju¨lich, Germany. 13Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstr. 35, D-72076, Tu¨bingen, Germany. 14Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA. 15Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA. 16Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK. 17These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence should be addressed to R.M. ([email protected]). Received 7 May; accepted 4 October; published online 28 October 2007; doi:10.1038/nbt1354 NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY VOLUME 25 NUMBER 11 NOVEMBER 2007 1281 ARTICLES So ce56 with the genomes of M. xanthus and other d-proteobacteria online). The first and third largest families encode regulatory proteins: provides new insights into the complex regulatory networks governing serine/threonine/tyrosine protein kinases and histidine kinases (498 myxobacterial lifestyles and secondary metabolism. The sequence also members), and putative s54-dependent regulators (80 members), opens opportunities to engineer high-titer producers of clinically respectively. The second largest family (124 members) encompasses relevant natural products. hypothetical proteins and other proteins annotated as polymorphic GC-rich repetitive sequences that participate in cell surface inter- RESULTS actions in mycobacteria10. The 63 members of the fourth Architecture and features of the S. cellulosum So ce56 genome largest paralogous family belong to the functional category of The genome sequence of S. cellulosum So ce56 was obtained by whole secondary metabolism. genome shotgun sequencing, and the assembly was validated by a complete fosmid map (Supplementary Fig. 1 online). The main Phylogenomic analysis of S. cellulosum So ce56 features of the genome sequence are shown in Figure 2 and We attempted to use phylogenomic analysis to deduce functions for Table 1. At 13,033,799 base pairs, the circular chromosome is the B35% of unassigned genes in the S. cellulosum So ce56 genome. the largest bacterial genome described to date by B4 Mb. The Phylogenomic maps are a three-dimensional landscape in which S. cellulosum genome contains 9,367 predicted protein coding mountains correspond to proteins with a shared evolutionary history. sequences (CDS), numbered from the initiation codon of the dnaA As CDSs that cluster have a high likelihood of being functionally gene. The average GC content of the chromosome is 71.4%, consistent linked, such maps can be used to make functional predictions for with the strong GC bias observed in other d-proteobacteria. In the uncharacterized CDSs on the basis of coinheritance. A phylogenomic absence of the GC-skew inversion typically seen at the replication map of S. cellulosum So ce56 was constructed by aligning the predicted origin of bacterial chromosomes (Fig. 2), it was not possible to discern S. cellulosum proteome against each of the predicted proteomes from the location of oriC. Simultaneous analysis of the genome for GC 446 sequenced bacterial species. To permit meaningful comparisons, content, dinucleotide frequency and codon usage using the PAI-IDA we retained predicted proteins in the map only if their phylogenetic Program 1.1 (ref. 9) revealed a relatively uniform pattern over the first profiles matched those from at least five other bacteria. The present http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology two-thirds of the chromosome (to 8.5 Mb), but nine anomalous iteration contains 5,862 CDSs, representing B62% of the predicted sections in the last third of the genome (Supplementary Fig. 2 proteome. Retained proteins were clustered using a combination of online). A majority of insertion sequences (16 of 28) occur in this force-directed placement and multidimensional scaling11 into region, suggesting that foreign elements may have been preferentially 39 mountains, as visualized by VxInsight12 (Supplementary Fig. 3 introduced by horizontal transfer into this section of the chromosome. online). The breadth and height of each mountain signify the tightness A putative function could be assigned to 4,895 (52.2%) of the of clustering and the number of proteins, respectively. Each mountain encoded proteins on the basis of manual annotation. Of the rest, 1,224 was then assigned an overall function by consideration of the Gene (13.1%) showed similarity to conserved hypothetical proteins in other Ontology
Recommended publications
  • Two Independent Retrons with Highly Diverse Reverse Transcriptases In
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 87, pp. 942-945, February 1990 Biochemistry Two independent retrons with highly diverse reverse transcriptases in Myxococcus xanthus (multicopy single-stranded DNA/2',5'-phosphodiester/codon usage/myxobacteria) SUMIKO INOUYE, PETER J. HERZER, AND MASAYORI INOUYE Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Communicated by Russell F. Doolittle, November 27, 1989 (received for review September 29, 1989) ABSTRACT A reverse transcriptase (RT) was recently found that the Mx65 retron is highly diverse and independent found in Myxococcus xanthus, a Gram-negative soil bacterium. from the Mx162 retron and that RT associated with the Mx65 This RT has been shown to be associated with a chromosomal retron has only 47% identity with RT for the Mx162 retron. region designated a retron responsible for the synthesis of a peculiar extrachromosomal DNA called msDNA (multicopy single-stranded DNA). We demonstrate that M. xanthus con- MATERIALS AND METHODS tains two independent, unlinked retrons, one for the synthesis Materials. The clone of the 9.0-kilobase (kb) Pst I fragment of msDNA-Mxl62 and the other for msDNA-Mx65. The struc- containing the Mx65 retron was obtained (8). Restriction tural analysis of the retron for msDNA-Mx65 revealed that the enzymes were purchased from New England Biolabs and coding regions for msdRNA (msr) and msDNA (msd), and an Boehringer Mannheim. open reading frame (ORF) downstream of msr are arranged in A deletion mutant strain ofthe Mx162 retron, AmsSX, was the same manner as found for the Mx162 retron.
    [Show full text]
  • First Genomic Insights Into Members of a Candidate Bacterial Phylum Responsible for Wastewater Bulking
    First genomic insights into members of a candidate bacterial phylum responsible for wastewater bulking Yuji Sekiguchi1, Akiko Ohashi1, Donovan H. Parks2, Toshihiro Yamauchi3, Gene W. Tyson2,4 and Philip Hugenholtz2,5 1 Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan 2 Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 3 Administrative Management Department, Kubota Kasui Corporation, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 4 Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 5 Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia ABSTRACT Filamentous cells belonging to the candidate bacterial phylum KSB3 were previously identified as the causative agent of fatal filament overgrowth (bulking) in a high-rate industrial anaerobic wastewater treatment bioreactor. Here, we obtained near complete genomes from two KSB3 populations in the bioreactor, including the dominant bulking filament, using diVerential coverage binning of metagenomic data. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with 16S rRNA-targeted probes specific for the two populations confirmed that both are filamentous organisms. Genome-based metabolic reconstruction and microscopic observation of the KSB3 filaments in the presence of sugar gradients indicate that both filament types are Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic fermenters capable of
    [Show full text]
  • Isolation, Antimicrobial Activity of Myxobacterial Crude Extracts and Identification of the Most Potent Strains
    Arch Biol Sci. 2017;69(3):561-568 https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS161011132C Isolation, antimicrobial activity of myxobacterial crude extracts and identification of the most potent strains Ivana Charousová*, Juraj Medo and Soňa Javoreková Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia *Corresponding author: [email protected] Received: October 11, 2016; Revised: November 14, 2016; Accepted: November 18, 2016; Published online: December 14, 2016 Abstract: Broad spectrum antimicrobial agents are urgently needed to fight frequently occurring multidrug-resistant pathogens. Myxobacteria have been regarded as “microbe factories” for active secondary metabolites, and therefore, this study was performed to isolate two bacteriolytic genera of myxobacteria, Myxococcus sp. and Corallococcus sp., from 10 soil/sand samples using two conventional methods followed by purification with the aim of determining the antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts against 11 test microorganisms (four Gram-positive, four Gram-negative, two yeasts and one fungus). Out of thirty-nine directly observed strains, 23 were purified and analyzed for antimicrobial activities. Based on the broth microdilution method, a total of 19 crude extracts showed antimicrobial activity. The range of inhibited wells was more important in the case of anti-Gram-positive-bacterial activity in comparison with the anti-Gram-negative-bacterial and antifungal activity. In light of the established degree and range of antimicrobial activity, two of the most active isolates (BNEM1 and SFEC2) were selected for further characterization. Morphological parameters and a sequence similarity search by BLAST revealed that they showed 99% sequence similarity to Myxococcus xanthus − BNEM1 (accession no.
    [Show full text]
  • 723874V1.Full.Pdf
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/723874; this version posted August 5, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 1 Discovery of a polybrominated aromatic 2 secondary metabolite from a planctomycete 3 points at an ambivalent interaction with its 4 macroalgae host 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fabian Panter[a,b], Ronald Garcia[a,b], Angela Thewes[a,b], Nestor Zaburannyi [a,b], Boyke Bunk [b,c], Jörg 12 Overmann[b,c], Mary Victory Gutierrez [d], Daniel Krug[a,b] and Rolf Müller*[a,b] 13 14 15 * Corresponding author, rolf.mü[email protected] 16 17 18 19 20 [a] Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz 21 Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, 22 Germany 23 [b] German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover–Braunschweig, Germany 24 [c] Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstraße 7B, 3814 Braunschweig, 25 Germany 26 [d] Biology Department, Far Eastern University, Nicanor Reyes St., Sampaloc, Manila, 1008 Metro Manila, Philippines 27 28 29 30 31 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/723874; this version posted August 5, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
    [Show full text]
  • Novel Myxobacteria As a Potential Source of Natural Products and Description of Inter-Species Nature of C-Signal
    Novel myxobacteria as a potential source of natural products and description of inter-species nature of C-signal Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades des Doktors der Naturwissenschaften der Naturwissenschaftlich-Technischen Fakultät III Chemie, Pharmazie, Bio- und Werkstoffwissenschaften der Universität des Saarlandes von Ram Prasad Awal (M. Sc. in Medical Microbiology) Saarbrücken 2016 Tag des Kolloquiums: ......19.12.2016....................................... Dekan: ......Prof. Dr. Guido Kickelbick.............. Berichterstatter: ......Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller...................... ......Prof. Dr. Manfred J. Schmitt........... ............................................................... Vositz: ......Prof. Dr. Uli Kazmaier..................... Akad. Mitarbeiter: ......Dr. Jessica Stolzenberger.................. iii Diese Arbeit entstand unter der Anleitung von Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller in der Fachrichtung 8.2, Pharmazeutische Biotechnologie der Naturwissenschaftlich-Technischen Fakultät III der Universität des Saarlandes von Oktober 2012 bis September 2016. iv Acknowledgement Above all, I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my advisor Professor Dr. Rolf Müller. It has been an honor to be his Ph.D. student and work in his esteemed laboratory. I appreciate for his supervision, inspiration and for allowing me to grow as a research scientist. Your guidance on both research as well as on my career have been invaluable. I would also like to thank Professor Dr. Manfred J. Schmitt for his scientific support and suggestions to my research work. I am thankful for my funding sources that made my Ph.D. work possible. I was funded by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) for 3 and half years and later on by Helmholtz-Institute. Many thanks to my co-advisors: Dr. Carsten Volz, who supported and guided me through the challenging research and Dr. Ronald Garcia for introducing me to the wonderful world of myxobacteria.
    [Show full text]
  • Studies Towards Secondary Metabolite Formation in Myxobacteria: Elucidation of Biosynthetic Pathways and Yield Optimization
    Studies towards secondary metabolite formation in Myxobacteria: Elucidation of biosynthetic pathways and yield optimization Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades des Doktors der Naturwissenschaften der Naturwissenschaftlich-Technischen Fakultät III Chemie, Pharmazie, Bio- und Werkstoffwissenschaften der Universität des Saarlandes von Stefan Müller Saarbrücken 2015 Tag des Kolloquiums: 31.07.2015 Dekan: Prof. Dr. Dirk Bähre Berichterstatter: Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller Prof. Dr. Rolf W. Hartmann Vorsitz: Prof. Dr. Uli Kazmaier Akad. Mitarbeiter: Dr. Judith Becker Diese Arbeit entstand unter der Anleitung von Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller in der Fachrichtung 8.2 Pharmazeutische Biotechnologie der Naturwissenschaftlich-Technischen Fakultät III der Universität des Saarlandes in der Zeit von Mai 2011 bis April 2015. Veröffentlichungen der Dissertation Veröffentlichungen der Dissertation Teile dieser Arbeit wurden vorab mit Genehmigung der Naturwissenschaftlich-Technischen Fakultät III, vertreten durch den Mentor der Arbeit, in folgenden Beiträgen veröffentlicht: Müller S, Rachid S, Hoffmann T, Surup F, Volz C, Zaburannyi N, & Müller R (2014) Biosynthesis of crocacin involves an unusual hydrolytic release domain showing similarity to condensation domains. Chemistry & Biology, 21 (7), 855-865. Hoffmann T, Müller S, Nadmid S, Garcia R, & Müller R (2013) Microsclerodermins from terrestrial myxobacteria: An intriguing biosynthesis likely connected to a sponge symbiont. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135 (45), 16904-16911. Darüber hinaus konnte zu einer weiteren Publikation, welche nicht Teil dieser Arbeit ist, beigetragen werden: Jahns C, Hoffmann T, Müller S, Gerth K, Washausen P, Höfle G, Reichenbach H, Kalesse M, & Müller R (2012) Pellasoren: Structure elucidation, biosynthesis, and total synthesis of a cytotoxic secondary metabolite from Sorangium cellulosum. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51 (21), 5239-5243.
    [Show full text]
  • IXEMPRA Label
    HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION ----------------------------CONTRAINDICATIONS------------------------------- These highlights do not include all the information needed to use ® ® • Hypersensitivity to drugs formulated with Cremophor EL (4). IXEMPRA safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for • Baseline neutrophil count <1500 cells/mm3 or a platelet count ® <100,000 cells/mm3 (4). IXEMPRA . • Patients with AST or ALT >2.5 x ULN or bilirubin >1 x ULN must not be treated with IXEMPRA in combination with capecitabine (4). ® IXEMPRA Kit (ixabepilone) for Injection, for intravenous infusion only ------------------------WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS----------------------- Initial U.S. Approval: 2007 • Peripheral Neuropathy: Monitor for symptoms of neuropathy, primarily sensory. Neuropathy is cumulative, generally reversible and should be WARNING: TOXICITY IN HEPATIC IMPAIRMENT managed by dose adjustment and delays (2.2, 5.1). See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. • Myelosuppression: Primarily neutropenia. Monitor with peripheral blood ® IXEMPRA in combination with capecitabine must not be given to cell counts and adjust dose as appropriate (2.2, 5.2). patients with AST or ALT >2.5 x ULN or bilirubin >1 x ULN due to • Hypersensitivity reaction: Must premedicate all patients with an H1 increased risk of toxicity and neutropenia-related death. (4, 5.3) antagonist and an H2 antagonist before treatment (2.3, 5.4). • Fetal harm can occur when administered to a pregnant woman. Women ---------------------------RECENT
    [Show full text]
  • Perspectives
    Copvright 0 1999 bv the Genetics Society of Anlerica Perspectives Anecdotal, Historical and Critical Commentaries on Genetics Edited by James F. Crow and William F. Dove ROLANDTHAXTER’S Legacy and the Origins of Multicellular Development Dale Kaiser Departments of Biochemistry and of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calijornia 94305 OLAND THAXTER published a bombshell in R December,1892. He reported that Chondro- myces crocatus, before then considered an imperfect fungus because of its complex fruiting bodv, was ac- tually a bacterium (Figure 1). THAXTERhad discov- ered theunicellular vegetative stage of C. crocatus; the cells he found were relatively short and they divided by binary fission. C. crocatus was, heconcluded, a “communal bacterium.” THAXTERdescribed the lo- comotion, swarming, aggregation and process of fruit- ing body formation of C. crocatus and its relatives, which are collectively called myxobacteria, with an accuracy that has survived 100 years of scrutiny. He recognized the behavioral similarity to the myxomv- cetes and the cellular slime molds, drawing attention in all three to the transition from single cells to an integrated multicellular state. He described the be- havior of myxobacteria in fructification in terms of a “course of development” because it was “a definitely recurring aggregation of individuals capable of con- certed action toward a definiteend” (THAXI‘ER1892). This essay will emphasize some implications of THAX- TER’S demonstrations, often apparently unrecognized. The striking similarities to cellular slime mold de- velopment probably led JOHN TYLERBONNER and KENNETHB. RAPER,50 years after THAXTER’Sdiscov- ery, to take independent forays into myxobacterial development. RAPER,an eminent mycologist, had in FIGURE1 .“Chondromyces crocatus fruiting bodv.
    [Show full text]
  • A Quantitative Assay to Study Cell Movement in the Myxobacteria
    jf. Cell Sci. 25, 173-178 (i977) 173 Printed in Great Britain A QUANTITATIVE ASSAY TO STUDY CELL MOVEMENT IN THE MYXOBACTERIA JOSEPH LONSKI, RONALD HEROMIN AND DAVID INGRAHAM Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lezvisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. SUMMARY A simple quantitative assay has been developed to test the rate of cell movement of myxo- bacteria. The assay employs an agar surface and at no time are the cells cultured in a liquid environment. Isolation of a rate-increasing substance(s) from fruiting Myxococcus xartthus is reported. The understanding of the aggregative process in these bacteria will be aided by characterization of the chemotactic system. INTRODUCTION The myxobacteria represent a unique group of procaryotes which interact with each other throughout their life cycle. These interactions play a role both in the swarming and feeding process, as well as in fruiting body formation. The general properties of the myxobacteria have been reviewed several times (Dworkin, 1966; 1972). A distinctive feature of the myxobacteria is that when cells on the surface of a solid medium are deprived of specific nutrients, they shift from growth to development and begin to migrate, by means of a gliding motility, into aggregation centres (Dworkin, 1963). A number of investigations (Lev, 1954; Jennings, 1961; McVittie & Zahler, 1962; Fleugel, 1963) have suggested that this aggregation is in response to a chemo- tactic substance but this has not yet been carefully examined. Having aggregated, the cells then construct a macroscopic fruiting body. For Myxococcus xanthus this is a simple mound of myxospores encased in a slime sheath. This research was initiated to aid in the search for the mechanism of aggregation of these procaryotes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Soil Microbial Food Web Revisited: Predatory Myxobacteria As Keystone Taxa?
    The ISME Journal https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-00958-2 ARTICLE The soil microbial food web revisited: Predatory myxobacteria as keystone taxa? 1 1 1,2 1 1 Sebastian Petters ● Verena Groß ● Andrea Söllinger ● Michelle Pichler ● Anne Reinhard ● 1 1 Mia Maria Bengtsson ● Tim Urich Received: 4 October 2018 / Revised: 24 February 2021 / Accepted: 4 March 2021 © The Author(s) 2021. This article is published with open access Abstract Trophic interactions are crucial for carbon cycling in food webs. Traditionally, eukaryotic micropredators are considered the major micropredators of bacteria in soils, although bacteria like myxobacteria and Bdellovibrio are also known bacterivores. Until recently, it was impossible to assess the abundance of prokaryotes and eukaryotes in soil food webs simultaneously. Using metatranscriptomic three-domain community profiling we identified pro- and eukaryotic micropredators in 11 European mineral and organic soils from different climes. Myxobacteria comprised 1.5–9.7% of all obtained SSU rRNA transcripts and more than 60% of all identified potential bacterivores in most soils. The name-giving and well-characterized fi 1234567890();,: 1234567890();,: predatory bacteria af liated with the Myxococcaceae were barely present, while Haliangiaceae and Polyangiaceae dominated. In predation assays, representatives of the latter showed prey spectra as broad as the Myxococcaceae. 18S rRNA transcripts from eukaryotic micropredators, like amoeba and nematodes, were generally less abundant than myxobacterial 16S rRNA transcripts, especially in mineral soils. Although SSU rRNA does not directly reflect organismic abundance, our findings indicate that myxobacteria could be keystone taxa in the soil microbial food web, with potential impact on prokaryotic community composition.
    [Show full text]
  • The Correlation Between Morphological and Phylogenetic Classification of Myxobacteria
    International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology (1 999), 49, 1255-1 262 Printed in Great Britain The correlation between morphological and phylogenetic classification of myxobacteria Cathrin Sproer,’ Hans Reichenbach’ and Erko Stackebrandtl Author for correspondence: Erko Stackebrandt.Tel: +49 531 2616 352. Fax: +49 531 2616 418. e-mail : [email protected] DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung In order to determine whether morphological criteria are suitable to affiliate von Mikroorganismen und myxobacterial strains to species, a phylogenetic analysis of 16s rDNAs was Zellkulturen GmbH1 and G BF-Gesel Isc haft fur performed on 54 myxobacterial strains that represented morphologically 21 Biotechnologische species of the genera Angiococcus, Archangium, Chondromyces, Cystobacter, Forschung mbH*, 381 24 Melittangium, Myxococcus, Polyangium and Stigmatella, five invalid species Braunschweig, Germany and three unclassified isolates. The analysis included 12 previously published sequences. The branching pattern confirmed the deep trifurcation of the order Myxococcales. One lineage is defined by the genera Cystobacter, Angiococcus, Archangium, Melittangium, Myxococcus and Stigmatella. The study confirms the genus status of Corallococcus’, previously ‘Chondrococcus’,within the family Myxococcaceae. The second lineage contains the genus Chondromyces and the species Polyangium (‘Sorangium’) cellulosum, while the third lineage is comprised of Nannocystis and a strain identified as Polyangium vitellinum. With the exception of a small number of strains that did not cluster phylogenetically with members of the genus to which they were assigned by morphological criteria (‘Polyangium thaxteri’ PI t3, Polyangium cellulosum ATCC 25531T, Melittangium lichenicola ATCC 25947Tand Angiococcus disciformis An dl), the phenotypic classification should provide a sound basis for the description of neotype species in those cases where original strain material is not available or is listed as reference material.
    [Show full text]
  • Planctomycetes Attached to Algal Surfaces: Insight Into Their Genomes
    MSc 2.º CICLO FCUP 2015 into Planctomycetes their Planctomycetes genomes attached attached to algal surfaces: Insight into to algal their genomes surfaces Mafalda Seabra Faria : Insight : Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto Laboratório de Ecofisiologia Microbiana da Universidade do Porto Biologia Celular e Molecular 2014/2015 Mafalda Seabra Faria Seabra Mafalda I FCUP Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes Mafalda Seabra Faria Mestrado em Biologia Celular e Molecular Biologia 2015 Orientador Olga Maria Oliveira da Silva Lage, Professora Auxiliar, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto Co-orientador Jens Harder, Senior Scientist and Professor, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology FCUP II Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes Todas as correções determinadas pelo júri, e só essas, foram efetuadas. O Presidente do Júri, Porto, ______/______/_________ FCUP III Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes FCUP IV Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin FCUP V Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes FCUP VI Planctomycetes attached to algal surfaces: Insight into their genomes Acknowledgements Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Professor
    [Show full text]