Myxococcus xanthus

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Scientific classification

Description and significance

Myxococcus Xanthus is a social organism, which are self-organized, saprotrophic and predatory. M. Xanthus is a rod shaped, gram negative bacteria, which uses a form of gliding for locomotion. There's been recent discovery of two types of systems used for locomotion. The first system is type IV pilli, which is used as a type of hook. The second system is mucus secreting, which tend to form sites of focal adhesion.

References

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxococcus_xanthus>

<http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Mycoccus_xanthus>

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