Coats from Myxococcus xanthus: characterization and synthesis during myxospore differentiation.

An extracellular coat from glycerol-induced myxospores of Myxococcus xanthus has been isolated and characterized. Coats were examined chemically and by using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. On a dry weight basis, approximately 75% of the coat is polysaccharide composed entirely of galactosamine and glucose. The remainder of the coat is protein (14%), glycine (8%), and organic phosphorus (less than 1%). Coats remained morphologically intact despite boiling in 10 M urea, sodium lauryl sulfate plus beta-mercaptoethanol, or extraction with warm phenol. Coats also resisted digestion with a variety of proteolytic and polysaccharide degrading enzymes. Synthesis of myxospore coat begins approximately 1 h after the addition of glycerol to a culture. One portion of the coat is complete by 5 to 6 h but additional material consisting primarily of glucose is added after 8 h.