Biology of Myxobacteria

Book excerpt: Myxobacteria are ubiquitous Gram-negative soil bacteria with a complex multicellular population behavior. They are highly social microbes that move, hunt and develop to build fruiting bodies, which are associated with feeding on a diverse range of bacteria and fungi for nutrition. Therefore, myxobacteria are classified as keystone taxa in the microbial food web and are key players in determining community organization, with potential applications in the biocontrol of plant diseases, wastewater treatment, and bioconversion. In addition, myxobacteria are regarded as natural pharmaceutical and functional enzyme factories due to their diversity and the unique properties of their secondary metabolites and enzymes, making them highly attractive for resource discovery. However, the difficulty in purifying and cultivating many types of myxobacteria limits the in-depth study of myxobacteria. Otherwise, key factors involved in the biological interaction and bioconversion of myxobacteria taxa remain largely unexplored, hindering their practical applications.