Daniel Wall

Discovery of PilU as a second Type IV pilus retraction motor in Myxococcus xanthus

This paper identifies PilU as a second T4P retraction motor in M. xanthus, showing it is essential for force generation and modulated by calcium and a flexible C-terminal region.

Predator avoidance promotes inter-bacterial symbiosis with myxobacteria in polymicrobial communities

The paper isolates and characterizes myxobacterial consortia from soil, showing predation avoidance and metabolic complementarity drive stable inter-bacterial symbiosis.

Chimeric aggregative multicellularity in absence of kin discrimination

The paper investigates kin discrimination in Myxococcus xanthus, showing that the type VI secretion system (T6SS) mediates antagonism between distantly related strains, preventing chimeric fruiting body formation.

Acquired CRISPR spacers and rhamnose-glucose polysaccharide defects confer resistance to Streptococcus mutans phage ΦAPCM01

This study identifies CRISPR spacers and RGP gene mutations in Streptococcus mutans conferring resistance to phage ΦAPCM01, with fitness costs and potential for cross-serotype infection.

Experimental evolution of promiscuous kin recognition from a homotypic specific cell surface receptor

The paper evolves promiscuous kin recognition in Myxococcus xanthus by modifying TraA receptor specificity through experimental evolution and identifies key residues that influence recognition.

A SNARE-like mechanism mediates bacterial outer membrane exchange

This study identifies a SNARE-like mechanism in Myxococcus xanthus that mediates outer membrane exchange through TraA and TraB proteins, revealing parallels to eukaryotic SNAREs.