Characterization of the Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Pathway in Myxococcus xanthus
María Pérez‐Burgos, Inmaculada García‐Romero, Jana Jung, Eugenia Schander, Miguel A. Valvano, Lotte Søgaard‐Andersen
Abstract
The secreted polysaccharide referred to as exopolysaccharide (EPS) has important functions in the social life cycle of M. xanthus ; however, little is known about how EPS is synthesized. Here, we characterized the EPS biosynthetic machinery and showed that it makes up a Wzx/Wzy-dependent pathway for polysaccharide biosynthesis. Mutants lacking a component of this pathway had reduced type IV pilus-dependent motility and a conditional defect in development. These analyses also suggest that EPS and/or the EPS biosynthetic machinery is important for type IV pilus formation.
Topics & Concepts
Myxococcus xanthusBiologyBiosynthesisBiochemistryMicrobiologyBacteriaGeneGeneticsMutantGenomics and Phylogenetic StudiesCarbohydrate Chemistry and SynthesisBacterial Genetics and Biotechnology