From Biochemistry to Morphogenesis in Myxobacteria

Many aspects of metazoan morphogenesis find parallels in the communal behavior of microorganisms. The cellular slime mold D. discoideum has long provided a metaphor for multicellular embryogenesis. However, the spatial patterns in D.d. colonies are generated by an intercellular communication system based on diffusible morphogens, whereas the interactions between embryonic cells are more often mediated by direct cell contact. For this reason, the myxobacteria have emerged as a contending system in which to study spatial pattern formation, for their colony strutures rival those of D.d. in complexity, yet communication between cells in a colony is carried out by direct cell contacts. Here I sketch some of the progress my laboratory has made in modeling the life cycle of these organisms.