RNA-seq analysis of Myxococcus xanthus at various developmental time points. RNA-seq analysis of Myxococcus xanthus at various developmental time points

Myxococcus xanthus is a model organism for studying social behaviors and cell differentiation in bacteria. Upon nutrient depletion, M. xanthus cells initiate a developmental program that culminates in formation of spore-filled fruiting bodies and peripheral rods outside of fruiting bodies. Completion of this developmental program depends on fine-tuned spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression, intercellular communication, signaling by nucleotide-based second messengers, and motility. In order to understand stage-specific gene expression during growth and development, we extracted total RNA from vegetative cells (referred as 0 h of development) and from cells developed for 6, 12, 18 and 24 h under submerged conditions in two replicates.

黄色黏球菌（Myxococcus xanthus）是研究细菌社会行为与细胞分化的模式生物。当遭遇营养匮乏时，M. xanthus细胞会启动一套发育程序，最终形成充满孢子的子实体，同时在子实体外部形成外周杆状细胞。该发育程序的顺利完成，依赖于基因表达的精细时空调控、细胞间通讯、基于核苷酸的第二信使信号传导以及细菌运动性的精准调控。为解析生长与发育阶段的特异性基因表达模式，我们分别从营养体细胞（记为发育0小时样本）、以及浸没培养条件下分别发育6、12、18和24小时的细胞中提取了总RNA，每组样本均设置两个生物学重复。