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Endotoxin-like activities inMyxococcus xanthus

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Abstract

Vegetative cells as well myxospores ofMyxococcus xanthus have shown anticomplementary activity and the capacity to be used as active agents in the skin preparation of the Shwartzman reaction and in its intravenous induction. These endotoxin-like properties were not extractable by the hot phenol-water methods. Our results suggest the presence of a lipid A analog in both vegetative cells and myxospores, and emphasize the difficulty of lipopolysaccharide detection; this is perhaps a consequence of a developing associated change in polysaccharide moiety of the myxobacterial lipopolysaccharides; this may be the basis of the special immunomodulation pattern shown byM. xanthus myxospores.

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Ruiz, C., Ruiz-Bravo, A. & Ramos-Cormenzana, A. Endotoxin-like activities inMyxococcus xanthus . Current Microbiology 15, 343–345 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01577592

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