Topological defects promote layer formation in Myxococcus xanthus colonies | Nature Physics
Topological defects in active nematic systems such as epithelial tissues and neural progenitor cells can be associated with biological functions. Here, the authors show that defects can play a role in the layer formation of the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus.
Subjects Biological physics Cellular motility Statistical physics Abstract The soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus lives in densely packed groups that form dynamic three-dimensional patterns in response to environmental changes, such as droplet-like fruiting bodies during starvation 1 . The development of these multicellular structures begins with the sequential formation of cell layers in a process that is poorly understood 2 . Here, using confocal three-dimensional imaging, we find that motile, rod-shaped M. xanthus cells are densely packed and aligned in each layer, forming an active nematic
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