''Myxococcus'' is a genus of bacteria in the family

Myxococcaceae Myxococcaceae is a family of gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria. The family Myxococcaceae is encompassed within the myxobacteria ("slime bacteria"). The family is ubiquitously found in soils, marine, and freshwater environments. Production of com ...

. Myxococci are

Gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wall ...

, spore-forming, chemoorganotrophic, obligate aerobes. They are elongated rods with rounded or tapered ends, and they are nonflagellated. The cells move by

gliding Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...

and can predate other bacteria. The genus has been isolated from soil. At least eleven species had been identified with confidence by late 2020 and each had been characterised to some extent. As well as using traditional biochemical tests, strains of some species had been compared using whole genome sequences. This approach has provided evidence that the genus, like most bacterial genera, has a core set of genes found in all members of the genus, along with others that are confined to particular species. The identity of ''Myxococcus'' species therefore continues to change. An example where taxonomy may be changed is that comparisons of genome sequences and biochemical tests indicated that '' M. xanthus'' and ''M. virescens'' were not distinguishable.

Sources

"Myxococcus - Information on Myxococcus - Encyclopedia of Life." Encyclopedia of Life. Encyclopedia of Life, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Phylogeny

The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) and

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(NCBI)

References

Myxococcota Bacteria genera {{Bacteria-stub

Sources

Phylogeny

See also

References