TraA/B mediated transcriptomics in Myxococcus xanthus. Myxococcus xanthus strain:DK10410

We study a group of bacteria (myxobacteria) that form some of the most complex social interactions known among prokaryotes. For example, in response to starvation thousands of myxobacteria coordinate their behaviors to build multicellular fruiting bodies in which vegetative cells differentiate into environmentally resistant spores. To transition into multicellular life myxobacteria must recognize their kin among diverse populations in the soil. Our group discovered a polymorphic cell surface receptor called TraA/B which mediates self-recognition through homotypic interactions with cells that bear identical receptors. Once bound TraA/B catalyzes the fusion and exchange of outer membrane lipids and proteins. We hypothesize that sharing of components helps individual cells to form homogeneous populations that transition toward multicellularity.As outlined above, TraA/B mediates cell-cell interactions that we hypothesize leads to signaling events within cells that includes changes in gene expression. To address this, we used RNA-Seq to take a global and unbiased approach for how TraA/B interactions alter gene expression.