Contact stimulation of Tgl and type IV pili in Myxococcus xanthus

Abstract

Myxococcus xanthus tgl mutants lack social motility and type IV pili but can be transiently stimulated to swarm and to make pill by contacting tgl+ cells. The absence of pill in tgl mutants is shown not to be due to the absence of pilin. The rate of pilus elongation after Tgl stimulation is shown to be similar to the rate of pilus elongation in wild-type cells, using a new more rapid assay for stimulation.