Medical Relevance
Beyond its use as a model for self-organization, M. xanthus also produces hundreds of potentially valuable secondary metabolites. During predation, M. xanthus releases over 300 secondary metabolites, many of which are used to lyse the cells of soil microbes on which it feeds. Many of these secondary metabolites are known to have medicinal properties. For example, M. xanthus produces myxalamid, an antibiotic that targets yeasts, molds, and enterobacteria. M. xanthus is also one of the most genetically tractable myxobacteria, and there is a considerable body of ongoing research aimed at genetically modifying M. xanthus to overproduce these compounds in a controlled environment, such as a fermentor. Current work includes the heterologous production of Epothilone B, a polyketide capable of targeting breast cancer cells that is superior to the anti-tumor drug Taxol. Finally, M. xanthus offers potential utility in the agricultural arena. Published data indicate that M. xanthus may act as a bacterial biological control agent to inhibit pathogenic fungi in plants.
Read more about this topic: Myxococcus Xanthus
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