Inhibitors of Fruiting-body Formation and Challenge Time Experiments in Myxococcus xanthus

Abstract

Purines, amino acids and their analogues, polypeptide and other antibiotics, and a range of other chemicals were screened by a spot-testing technique for inhibition of vegetative growth, or of fruiting-body formation, in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. Selected fruiting inhibitors were tested by challenge time-transfer experiments. In general, delayed addition of inhibitors up to the time of late aggregation prevented subsequent completion of fruiting. Conversely, cells held in the presence of a fruiting inhibitor for extended periods did not rapidly lose the ability to fruit subsequently on removal of the inhibitor.