Phosphatase activity during development cycle of Myxococcus xanthus

Cell-bound and extracellular acid and alkaline phosphatase activity have been studied in Myxococcus xanthus strains DK101, DK1050, DK2834, and DK2836. Both phosphatases were released into a liquid medium during vegetative growth and the levels were similar in all strains. On solid media, M. xanthus DK101 showed maximum activity at the end of the developmental process, when mature myxospores appeared. An increase in phosphatase activity was also observed in glycerol-induced myxospores. A transitory increase in phosphatase activity occurred during the germination of both glycerol-induced and fruiting-body myxospores, although the activity of both phosphatases in fruiting-body myxospores was greater than that in glycerol-induced ones.