Myxococcus xanthus Predation of Gram-Positive or Gram-Negative Bacteria Is Mediated by Different Bacteriolytic Mechanisms

Abstract

Predation is an important survival strategy of the widespread myxobacteria, but it remains poorly understood on the mechanistic level. Without a basic understanding of how prey cell killing and consumption is achieved, it also remains difficult to investigate the role of predation for the complex myxobacterial lifestyle, reciprocal predator-prey relationships, or the impact of predation on complex bacterial soil communities.