Myxococcus xanthus displays a form of surface motility known as social (S) gliding. It is mediated by the type IV pilus (T4P) and requires the exopolysaccharide (EPS) to function. It is clear that T4P retraction powers S motility. EPS on a neighboring cell or deposited on a gliding surface is proposed to anchor the distal end of a pilus and trigger T4P retraction at its proximal end. Inversely,...

Intraflagellar transport (IFT) underpins many of the important cellular roles of cilia and flagella in signaling and motility. The microtubule motors kinesin-2 and cytoplasmic dynein 1b drive IFT particles (protein complexes carrying ciliary component proteins) along the axoneme to facilitate the assembly and maintenance of cilia. IFT is regulated primarily by cargo loading onto the IFT particl...

Cell of Mycoplasma pneumoniae FH gliding on a glass surface in liquid medium were examined by microscopic observation and quantitatively by microcinematography (30 frames per min). Comparisons were made only within the individual experiments. The cells moved in an irregular pattern with numerous narrow bends and circles. They never changed their leading end. The average speed (without pauses) w...

Myxococcus xanthus is a model organism for studying bacterial social behaviors due to its ability to form complex multi-cellular structures. Knowledge of M. xanthus surface gliding motility and the mechanisms that coordinated it are critically important to our understanding of collective cell behaviors. Although the mechanism of gliding motility is still under investigation, recent experiments ...

Toxoplasma gondii is the most common protozoan parasite of humans. Infection with T. gondii can lead to life-threatening disease as a result of repeated cycles of host cell invasion, parasite replication, and host cell lysis. Relatively little is known about the invasive mechanisms of T. gondii and related parasites within the Phylum Apicomplexa (including Plasmodium spp., the causative agents ...