Myxobacterial Columns

The soil myxobacterium, Myxococcus fulvus, will produce clavate columns of slime and cells in certain static liquid cultures. The cells protrude from the thicker end of the column like pins in a pincushion. The column\u27s distribution is in an even array. An hypothesis is suggested for the origin of these formations. The columns are not fruiting bodies. Column formation in other fruiting myxobacteria suggests that it is not a unique feature. Only one other fruiting myxobacterium which produced columns has been reported, and that more than two decades ago

Dictyostelium discoideum\u27s 35-year Contribution to Growth of Biology: A Bibliometric Analysis

Biological Abstracts is a sufficiently adequate bibliometric tool for the analysis of the accumulated literature of certain organisms. Dictyostelium discoideum (Cellular slime mold) titles are scarce, yet literature growth parallels some of the same growth patterns as the whole of science. Relatively few (5 percent) biologists produce most (55 percent) of the literature on this organism. American authors predominate. The literature is grouped into various categories such as aggregation, cytology, growth, and genetics with the molecular-physiological works surpassing all other categories combined in the last 5 years (66 percent). Although the literature is scattered worldwide, most articles are found in relatively few journals. Biological Bulletin was the steady home for information for 22 years with 15 articles and the Journal of Bacteriology accumulated 16 articles in the last 4 years of the survey. The analysis begins with Raper\u27s discovery description of D. discoideum in 1935 and ends with 1970

Induced Fruiting in Myxobacteria

The fruiting myxobacteria and the cellular slime molds (Acrasiales) have many superficial resemblances with respect to fruiting behavior. Cells in the swarm are triggered by chemical substances to aggregate and form fruiting bodies (Bonner, 1947; Fluegel, 1963a). A chief difference between the two with respect to fruiting behavior, is that the myxoamoeba are free cells whereas the myxobacters are enmeshed in slime threads (Fluegel, 1963b). However, it is tacitly assumed that if parallel studies be undertaken in myxobacteria as has been done with the slime molds, the cells must be grown dispersed. Most isolates of myxobacteria do not grow dispersed; when grown in liquid, they form an adherent swarm on the walls of their container beneath or on the surface of the medium. This swarm can be induced to form fruiting bodies using the methods outlined below, but they do not, as a rule, form submerged fruiting bodies in growing cultures. To my knowledge there are no reports concerning the inducement of myxobacterial swarms to fruit