title: Improving cellular properties for genetic manipulation by dispersed growing mutagenesis in Myxococcus fulvus HW-1.
abstract: One of the key limitations to genetic manipulation in myxobacteria is that the cells grow in clumps in liquid. A salt-tolerant strain HW-1 of Myxococcus fulvus was treated with UV irradiation and produced a completely dispersedly growing mutant UV684. There were no significant differences between the parent HW-1 and the mutant UV684 in terms of salt-tolerant growth. The mutant UV684 and the parent strain had the similar abilities of the fruiting body formation and S motility. Interestingly, the mutant exhibited high transformation/transposition efficiency with 10(5)-10(6) colony-forming units per microg DNA, which was about 10(3)-10(5) fold higher than HW-1. The results indicate that the mutation that led to dispersed growth in the UV684 mutant strain had a few impacts on social behavior, but greatly facilitated molecular genetic manipulation.
authors.affiliation: Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China. zhangcuiying2009@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Cui-ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Zhi-hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yue-zhong
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009068:Movement; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D016940:Myxococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012965:Sodium Chloride