Lotte Sogaard-Andersen
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Bacterial development and differentiation
The model organism: Myxococcus xanthus
Cells of Myxococcus xanthus organize into two distinct patterns. In the presence of nutrients, the motile, rod-shaped cells grow and divide, and if present on a solid surface, they form cooperatively feeding colonies in which cells at the edge spread outwards. In response to nutrient limitation, growth ceases and a developmental program is initiated that culminates in the formation of multicellular fruiting bodies. Inside fruiting bodies the rod-shaped, motile cells differentiate into spores. Fruiting body morphogenesis depends on the exchange of intercellular signals, temporally and spatially regulated changes in gene expression, and regulation of motility behavior. Our research interests focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying fruiting body morphogenesis and cell differentiation. To this end we focus on understanding the mechanism of the intercellular C-signal, how the C-signal transduction pathway is structured, how cell motility is regulated, and - lately also - cell division. We use a suite of experimental techniques including molecular genetics, protein purification and characterization, DNA microarray analyses, proteomics, comparative genomics, and cell-imaging.