Global gene expression analysis of Myxococcus xanthus development and nutrient stress

We have developed a novel transcriptome method to study the genes and pathways involved in the Myxococcus xanthus multicellular developmental program and response to nutrient stress. Our RNA-seq pipeline utilizes an RNaseH based rRNA depletion protocol to drastically decrease sequencing costs per sample. Our analysis identifies putative developmental regulators and elucidates the temporal aspects of the regulatory network that controls the Myxococcus xanthus multicellular developmental program. This project continues to build on the techniques and methods used to elucidate complex regulatory networks found in nature.