Myxococcus
| Myxococcus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fruiting bodies of Myxococcus xanthus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Myxococcota |
| Class: | Myxococcia |
| Order: | Myxococcales |
| Family: | Myxococcaceae |
| Genus: | Myxococcus Thaxter 1892 |
| Type species | |
| Myxococcus fulvus | |
| Species | |
| |
Myxococcus is a genus in the family Myxococcaceae. Myxococci are Gram-negative, spore-forming, chemoorganotrophic, obligate aerobes. They are elongated rods with rounded or tapered ends, and they are nonflagellated. The cells move by gliding and can predate other bacteria. The genus has been isolated from soil.
At least eleven species had been identified with confidence by late 2020 and each had been characterised to some extent. As well as using traditional biochemical tests, strains of some species had been compared using whole genome sequences. This approach has provided evidence that the genus, like most bacterial genera, has a core set of genes found in all members of the genus, along with others that are confined to particular species. The identity of Myxococcus species therefore continues to change. An example where taxonomy may be changed is that comparisons of genome sequences and biochemical tests indicated that M. xanthus and M. virescens were not distinguishable.[2][1]
Sources
"Myxococcus - Information on Myxococcus - Encyclopedia of Life." Encyclopedia of Life. Encyclopedia of Life, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
References
- ^ a b Sharma, Gaurav; Narwani, Tarun; Subramanian, Srikrishna (2016). "Complete Genome Sequence and Comparative Genomics of a Novel Myxobacterium Myxococcus hansupus". PLoS One. 11: e0148593. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148593. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d Chambers, James; Sparks, Natalie; Sydney, Natashia; Livingstone, Paul G.; Cookson, Alan R.; Whitworth, David E. (2020). "Comparative genomics and pan-genomics of the Myxococcaceae, including a description of five novel species: Myxococcus eversor sp. nov., Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis sp. nov., Myxococcus vastator sp. nov., Pyxidicoccus caerfyrddinensis sp. nov. and Pyxidicoccus trucidator sp. nov" (pdf). Genome Biology and Evolution. evaa212: 1-. ISSN 1759-6653. Retrieved 26 October 2020.