Developmentally induced autolysis during fruiting body formation by Myxococcus xanthus

Wireman, John W.; Dworkin, Martin

doi:10.1128/jb.129.2.798-802.1977

Cited by 172 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Fruiting body formation is accompanied by a massive die-off of cells whereby~80% of vegetative cells lyse and a small proportion proceed to sporulation (Lee et al, 2012a;Wireman & Dworkin, 1977). Since iron can catalyze the production of toxic reactive oxygen species through the Fenton reaction (Cornelis et al, 2011), the assembly of encapsulin nanocompartments during starvation may serve a protective role against cellular death due to oxidative stress by reducing the amount of iron free in the cytosol.…”

Section: Encapsulin Nanocompartments Protect Cells From Oxidative Strmentioning

confidence: 99%

A virus capsid‐like nanocompartment that stores iron and protects bacteria from oxidative stress

et al. 2014

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Living cells compartmentalize materials and enzymatic reactions to increase metabolic efficiency. While eukaryotes use membrane-bound organelles, bacteria and archaea rely primarily on protein-bound nanocompartments. Encapsulins constitute a class of nanocompartments widespread in bacteria and archaea whose functions have hitherto been unclear. Here, we characterize the encapsulin nanocompartment from Myxococcus xanthus, which consists of a shell protein (EncA, 32.5 kDa) and three internal proteins (EncB, 17 kDa; EncC, 13 kDa; EncD, 11 kDa). Using cryo-electron microscopy, we determined that EncA self-assembles into an icosahedral shell 32 nm in diameter (26 nm internal diameter), built from 180 subunits with the fold first observed in bacteriophage HK97 capsid. The internal proteins, of which EncB and EncC have ferritin-like domains, attach to its inner surface. Native nanocompartments have dense iron-rich cores. Functionally, they resemble ferritins, cage-like iron storage proteins, but with a massively greater capacity (~30,000 iron atoms versus ~3,000 in ferritin). Physiological data reveal that few nanocompartments are assembled during vegetative growth, but they increase fivefold upon starvation, protecting cells from oxidative stress through iron sequestration.

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Section: Encapsulin Nanocompartments Protect Cells From Oxidative Strmentioning

confidence: 99%

A virus capsid‐like nanocompartment that stores iron and protects bacteria from oxidative stress

et al. 2014

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“…Larger groups of spores are formed by M. xanthus, in which starving cells aggregate to form a fruiting body whose cell density approaches that of many biofilms (Julien et al, 2000). It is also striking that in both species spore-destined cells kill other members of the population during fruiting body formation (Wireman & Dworkin, 1977;Gonzalez-Pastor et al, 2003). In B. subtilis, cell death releases nutrients that increase the viability of the remaining population, allowing it to delay commitment to sporulation (Gonzalez-Pastor et al, 2003).…”

Section: Differentiation and Development In Biofilmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sociobiology of biofilms

2009

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Biofilms are densely packed communities of microbial cells that grow on surfaces and surround themselves with secreted polymers. Many bacterial species form biofilms, and their study has revealed them to be complex and diverse. The structural and physiological complexity of biofilms has led to the idea that they are coordinated and cooperative groups, analogous to multicellular organisms. We evaluate this idea by addressing the findings of microbiologists from the perspective of sociobiology, including theories of collective behavior (self-organization) and social evolution. This yields two main conclusions. First, the appearance of organization in biofilms can emerge without active coordination. That is, biofilm properties such as phenotypic differentiation, species stratification and channel formation do not necessarily require that cells communicate with one another using specialized signaling molecules. Second, while local cooperation among bacteria may often occur, the evolution of cooperation among all cells is unlikely for most biofilms. Strong conflict can arise among multiple species and strains in a biofilm, and spontaneous mutation can generate conflict even within biofilms initiated by genetically identical cells. Biofilms will typically result from a balance between competition and cooperation, and we argue that understanding this balance is central to building a complete and predictive model of biofilm formation.

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“…[26] Development is thus cooperative, and although 90% of cells forming a fruiting body are destined to undergo programmed cell death (autolysis), they thereby provide the energy and nutrients required by the remaining 10% to sporulate. [27] However, this makes fruiting body formation vulnerable to "cheating" genotypes. For example, a genotype that undergoes autolysis at a frequency <90% will be disproportionately represented among the spores within a fruit and in the resulting population of germinants.…”

Section: Myxobacteria Respond Socially To Starvationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is “Wolf‐Pack” Predation by Antimicrobial Bacteria Cooperative? Cell Behaviour and Predatory Mechanisms Indicate Profound Selfishness, Even when Working Alongside Kin

Marshall

Whitworth

2019

BioEssays

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For decades, myxobacteria have been spotlighted as exemplars of social “wolf‐pack” predation, communally secreting antimicrobial substances into the shared public milieu. This behavior has been described as cooperative, becoming more efficient if performed by more cells. However, laboratory evidence for cooperativity is limited and of little relevance to predation in a natural setting. In contrast, there is accumulating evidence for predatory mechanisms promoting “selfish” behavior during predation, which together with conflicting definitions of cooperativity, casts doubt on whether microbial “wolf‐pack” predation really is cooperative. Here, it is hypothesized that public‐goods‐mediated predation is not cooperative, and it is argued that a holistic model of microbial predation is needed, accounting for predator and prey relatedness, social phenotypes, spatial organization, activity/specificity/transport of secreted toxins, and prey resistance mechanisms. Filling such gaps in our knowledge is vital if the evolutionary benefits of potentially costly microbial behaviors mediated by public goods are to be properly understood.

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Developmentally induced autolysis during fruiting body formation by Myxococcus xanthus

Cited by 172 publications

References 12 publications

A virus capsid‐like nanocompartment that stores iron and protects bacteria from oxidative stress

A virus capsid‐like nanocompartment that stores iron and protects bacteria from oxidative stress

The sociobiology of biofilms

Is “Wolf‐Pack” Predation by Antimicrobial Bacteria Cooperative? Cell Behaviour and Predatory Mechanisms Indicate Profound Selfishness, Even when Working Alongside Kin

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