Natural variation of gliding motility in a centimetre-scale population of Myxococcus xanthus

FEMS Microbiology Ecology
Michiel Vos, Gregory J Velicer

Abstract

A major challenge in microbial evolutionary ecology is to understand how fitness-related traits vary in natural populations of microorganisms at defined spatial scales and subsequently to identify the forces that maintain such variation. The Gram-negative soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus is a model system for the study of gliding motility, which is driven by two complementary motility systems in this species and is central to its social lifestyle. We tested whether the ecological context of a centimetre-scale M. xanthus population allows the coexistence of diverse motility-related phenotypes. Swarming rates among 26 clones isolated at the centimetre scale were found to vary greatly in multiple laboratory environments. This variation appears to be motility-specific, as it is not explained by a correlated variation in intrinsic growth rate. In contrast to the common reference strain DK1622, most isolates swarmed faster on hard agar than on soft agar, highlighting the difficulty of inferring species characteristics from laboratory reference strains. These isolates also varied greatly in swarm morphology and in the effect of nutrient limitation on swarming rate. Our results show that diverse swarming phenotypes can coexist in a sm...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 12, 2012·The ISME Journal·Gang Wang, Dani Or
Oct 4, 2008·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Kristina L HilleslandRichard E Lenski
Aug 31, 2010·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Andrew D MorganGregory J Velicer
Jul 7, 2009·Annual Review of Microbiology·Gregory J Velicer, Michiel Vos
Feb 28, 2014·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Susanne A Kraemer, Gregory J Velicer
Jun 21, 2011·Annual Review of Microbiology·Joan E StrassmannDavid C Queller
Jun 22, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Susanne A Kraemer, Gregory J Velicer
Oct 26, 2011·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Tiffany B Taylor, Angus Buckling
Jun 10, 2014·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Peter C ZeeGregory J Velicer
Apr 5, 2013·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Michiel VosGeorge A Kowalchuk
Sep 24, 2016·The ISME Journal·Olaya Rendueles, Gregory J Velicer
Jan 28, 2017·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Peter C Zee, Gregory J Velicer
Jul 20, 2018·Viruses·Marie Vasse, Sébastien Wielgoss
May 25, 2010·FEMS Microbiology Ecology·Susanne A KraemerGregory J Velicer
Jan 2, 2014·Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery : Official Publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India·V Ashok Murthy, Kirtan Krishna
Aug 20, 2016·Molecular Ecology·Susanne A KraemerGregory J Velicer

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