Myxococcus xanthus

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Myxococcus xanthus

• The Coolest Bacteria

PROOF!!!
Presentation for Mrs. James' Bio II class
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Scientific Stuff

• Name Myxococcus xanthus
• Classification
• -Actually is rod-shaped (have rounded
  ends so its a coccus)
• -Chemoorganotrophic (chemohetero, basically)
• -Aerobic (need oxygen)

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More Scientific Stuff

• Habitat Organic soil (has to have pH 5- 8) Can
  also live in rockier terrain
• Special Adaptations
• - 2 types of locomotion
• 1. Type IV Pilli (used as a hook)
• 2. Mucus Secretion (helps it move in a
  'gliding' fashion)
• - Has a multi-cellular synchronizing mechanism
• -Can talk with other cells to work together
  against a common prey - Can form
  endospores when food is not available

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Last of Science Stuff

• Not disease-causing (not harmful to humans)
• Gram-negative
• Environmental Impact/ Function
• - Kills lots of bacteria
• Cool Stuff It is used (and still being studied)
  to kill harmful bacteria and fungi and is used to
  make antibodies which can fight off yeasts, mold,
  and enterobacteria.

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Cool Stuff - 2 Mutations

• This mutation has what is called Adventurous
  Motility (A)

• This mutation has what is called Social Motility
  (S)

12 seconds
39 seconds
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More Cool Stuff

• Now is being researched to make a medicine called
  Taxol that can target breast-cancer cells
• Genome is 9.14 Mb (not mega-bytes but Mega base
  which is 1,000,000 base-pairs)

Mass of 100,000 Myxococcus Xanthus cells with
their visable spores
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Hyperlinks

• http//www.google.com/search?hlensourcehpqcoo
  lestbacteriarlz1R2ADSA_enUS349aqfaqiaqlo
  q
• http//rlv.zcache.com/support_bacteria_fu
  nny_mens_t_shirt-p235401265518966672qdvq_400.jpg
  
• http//en.citizendium.org/wiki/Myxococcus_xanthus
  
• http//cmgm.stanford.edu/devbio/kaiserlab/about_my
  xo/about_myxococcus.html
• http//www.devbio.uga.edu/gallery/2.html
• http//microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Myxococcus