The localization and distribution of the stress protein SP21 in indole-induced vegetative cells, fruiting bodies, and heat shocked cells of Stigmatella aurantiaca were determined by immunoelectron microscopy. SP21 was found at the cell periphery in heat-shocked cells and either at the cell periphery or within the cytoplasm in indole-induced cells, often concentrated in clusters. In fruiting-bod...

Calcium ion induces in the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca the ability to glide on solid surfaces and to become cohesive (D. F. Gilmore and D. White, J. Bacteriol. 161:113-117, 1985; B. J. Womack, D. F. Gilmore, and D. White, J. Bacteriol. 171:6093-6096, 1989). The addition of calcium ion to the growth medium resulted in the formation of extracellular fibrils, the appearance in the membran...

Numerous external signals which activate inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in eukaryotes are known; probably all of these signals are transduced by G proteins. So far, neither signal-transducing G protein nor receptor-regulated phospholipase C has been found in prokaryotes. However, a group of bacteria, the myxobacteria, displays cellular and tissue-like differentiation; therefore, it appeared t...