Myxobacteria : Genomics, Cellular and Molecular Biology

Myxobacteria have fascinated generations of scientists since their discovery over a century ago. These bacteria represent the epitome of complex prokaryotic behaviour. Their predatory swarms move over solid surfaces utilizing two distinct motility machineries: one driven by retractable pili, and the other by a novel gliding machinery. Furthermore, under nutrient limitation, myxobacteria enter a developmental program featuring distinct cell fates and culminating in the formation of multicellular fruiting bodies filled with dormant spores. In this book, expert myxobiologists describe important recent advances in understanding the behaviour of these bacteria at a molecular and cellular level. The book covers ecology, genomics and cell biology as well as modelling and simulation on topics including motility, development and their associated genetic regulatory networks. Authors provide the most up-to-date overview on myxobacteria and highlight open questions in the active areas of research. The book will serve as an essential reference for everyone working with myxobacteria. Chapters have been written and structured to be accessible to teachers, graduate and advanced undergraduate students new to myxobacteria, as well as experts in other fields including physical and computational sciences.