- Only a few myxobacteria are known to date that are classified as marine, owing to their salt
dependency. In this study, the salt tolerance mechanism of these bacteria was investigated.
To this end, a growth medium was designed in which the mutated Escherichia coli strain
BKA13 served as sole food source for the predatory, heterotrophic myxobacteria. This enabled
measurement of the osmolytes without any background and revealed that the closely related
strains Enhygromyxa salina SWB007 and Plesiocystis pacifica SIR-1 developed different
strategies to handle salt stress. Ple. pacifica SIR-1, which was grown between 1 and 4% NaCl,
relies solely on the accumulation of amino acids, while Enh. salina SWB007, which was grown
between 0.5 and 3% NaCl, employs, besides betaine, hydroxyectoine as the major compatible
solute. In accordance with this analysis, only in the latter strain was a locus identified that codes
for genes corresponding to the biosynthesis of betaine, ectoine andOnly a few myxobacteria are known to date that are classified as marine, owing to their salt
dependency. In this study, the salt tolerance mechanism of these bacteria was investigated.
To this end, a growth medium was designed in which the mutated Escherichia coli strain
BKA13 served as sole food source for the predatory, heterotrophic myxobacteria. This enabled
measurement of the osmolytes without any background and revealed that the closely related
strains Enhygromyxa salina SWB007 and Plesiocystis pacifica SIR-1 developed different
strategies to handle salt stress. Ple. pacifica SIR-1, which was grown between 1 and 4% NaCl,
relies solely on the accumulation of amino acids, while Enh. salina SWB007, which was grown
between 0.5 and 3% NaCl, employs, besides betaine, hydroxyectoine as the major compatible
solute. In accordance with this analysis, only in the latter strain was a locus identified that codes
for genes corresponding to the biosynthesis of betaine, ectoine and hydroxyectoine.…