Myxococcus llanfair­pwll­gwyn­gyll­go­gery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch­ensis

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Classification

Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Myxococcota Class: Myxococcia Order: Myxococcales Family: Myxococcaceae Genus: Myxococcus Species: M. llanfair­pwll­gwyn­gyll­go­gery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch­ensis [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]

Species

NCBI: [1]

M. llanfair­pwll­gwyn­gyll­go­gery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch­ensis

Description and Significance

Appearance:is a rod-shaped, gram-negative myxobacteria species that can be found in the soil.  It feeds on some other bacteria as a predator.The rod-like vegetative cells' ends taper somewhat. The colonies are light brown in color and move in swarms. Fruiting bodies that are broadly round and orange are produced. Its genome's draft sequence[2] revealed notable differences from every other species of Myxococcus that had been originally defined.

Habitat: It was called after the town of Llanfair­pwll­gwyn­gyll­go­gery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, on the island of Anglesey in North Wales, where it was separated from soil that was gathered close by. With 73 characters in total, the scientific name of this bacterial species is thought to be the longest name in the binomial naming system. However, it has not yet received approval from the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM), and as a result, is not regarded as legitimate. The scientific name Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides has been used for the longest time. \

Fun Fact: The Llanfairpwll railway station, which has a plate with the hamlet's complete name on it, has become a highly popular tourist destination because it is located in the village where this bacteria was discovered.

Fun Fact: The term that gives this bacteria its distinctiveness was originally created in the 1860s as a PR gimmick by joining the names of this town. Which it does have a much deeper meaning to. Llanfairpwllgwyngyll ("St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel"), the nearby hamlet of Llantysilio Gogogoch ("the church of St Tysilio of the red cave"), and the chwyrn drobwll ("rapid whirlpool") between them.

Genome Structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

The genomes of myxobacteria are longer than those of any other free-living bacteria without a developmental cycle, measuring between 9 and 10 Mbp. Their G+C content ranges from 67 to 71%. In the course of its developmental cycle, the bacterium Myxococcus produces multicellular fruiting structures that contain spores.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structurer. A fruiting body (A) of the bacterium Myxococcus is a spherical mass of around 1 105 cells that contains spores that can withstand stress. The fruiting body is tiny (1/10 mm), sticky, and contains many closely spaced spores. The bacteria are thought to gain some energy from these oxidations; however, there is still no proof that any of them are obligate lithotrophs. (Kaiser et al., 2010) Depending on the species, these fruiting structures can have a variety of shapes and hues. Vegetative rod-shaped cells start out as round myxospores with strong cell walls inside the fruiting bodies.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

The Myxococcus prefers organically rich soil in general, however they can also be found in sandy and on rough surfaces. They are present in fresh water and live in decomposing plant matter as well. It has been demonstrated that fruiting body development in submerged Myxobacteria is both feasible and successful. This bacteria is special because it actively kills other bacteria of different species in order to absorb their biomass. Although it is harmless to people. A portion of the population undergoes lysis, releasing nutrients that help a structure known as a fruiting body develop (Wireman and Dworkin, 1977). The multicellular component of an organism known as a fruiting body is where spore-producing structures form. The collection of myxobacterial cells during a nutritional shortage, It will assemble into an aggregate when under nutritional stress. These aggregates eventually come together to create a fruiting body, which is made to produce spores that can withstand extreme climatic conditions. The importance and contribution of the Myxococcus bacteria is because are present everywhere in soil conditions. They have a complicated life cycle: Vegetatively developing cells coordinate their movement to form multicellular swarms, that assemble into massive fruiting bodies when they become starved and undergo cell differentiation into spores.(Thiery, 2020)

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Wireman, J. W., & Dworkin, M. (1975). Morphogenesis and Developmental Interactions in Myxobacteria. Science, 189(4202), 516–523. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.806967

Thiery, S. (2020, January 14). The Predation Strategy of Myxococcus xanthus. Frontiers

Kaiser, D., Robinson, M., & Kroos, L. (2010). Myxobacteria, Polarity, and Multicellular Morphogenesis. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2(8), a000380–a000380. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a000380

Author

Page authored by Student: Melanny Zunun-Parada, student of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington. BIO 330 FALL 2022

Winner: 2022 Weirdest Microbe Award