Myxococcus shows that bacterial life can be far more organised than a single cell living on its own. These bacteria are part of the myxobacteria, a group known for multicellular behaviour, coordinated movement and group predation.
Some myxobacteria can form large multicellular aggregates called fruiting bodies. These structures may contain up to about 100,000 cells and exist to protect their spores. The fruiting body helps feed and transport them, while the spores are kept at the core.
This makes Myxococcus a powerful example of multicellular bacteria. They organise into biological aggregates with superpowers that are more complex than those of individual cells. This organisation can involve communication between cells, division of labour and cell differentiation. When some cells take on specialised functions, the whole bacterial group gains abilities that an individual cell would not have alone.
But Myxococcus are also described as wolf-pack predators. Rather than attacking prey as isolated cells, they travel as huge aggregates to attack their prey. They rely on twitching or gliding motility, forms of movement that help the group move across surfaces. As colonies of Myxococcus roll over their prey, they release antibiotics, kill it and then feed on it.
So Myxococcus is best understood as a social bacterial genus. Its cells can organise into multicellular structures, protect spores, move as a group and attack prey together. It reminds us that bacteria are not always solitary microbes. Some organise, move and survive as a coordinated collective.
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When thinking of bacteria, you might have the picture of a single cell in your mind. But interestingly, some bacteria come as multicellular organisms with advanced functions. Here, we will learn what multicellular bacteria are and why bacteria form multicellular organisms. We will then look at some colourful examples of multicellular bacteria.