Population ecology and survival strategy of myxobacteria

Abstract:

The Gram-negative myxobacteria are phylogenetically located in the delta division of Proteobacteria. Myxobacteria are famous for their complicated multicellular behavior and excellent production ability of secondary metabolites, and are thus among important microbial resources for drug screening and of model organisms for the studies of prokaryotic intercellular communication, multicellular morphogenesis, and biological evolution. In this paper, we reviewed characteristics of myxobacteria and progresses related to their population diversity, ecological distribution, potential survival strategies and ecological functions.