A genetic screen in Myxococcus xanthus identifies mutants that uncouple outer membrane exchange from a downstream cellular response

Cell-cell transfer of adaptation traits benefits kin and actor in a cooperative microbe

Microbes face many physical, chemical, and biological insults from their environments. In response, cells adapt, but whether they do so cooperatively is poorly understood. Here, we use a model social bacterium, Myxococcus xanthus, to ask whether adapted traits are transferable to naïve kin. To do so we isolated cells adapted to detergent stresses and tested for trait transfer. In some cases, strain-mixing experiments increased sibling fitness by transferring adaptation traits. This cooperative behavior depended on a kin recognition system called outer membrane exchange (OME) because mutants defective in OME could not transfer adaptation traits. Strikingly, in mixed stressed populations, the transferred trait also benefited the adapted (actor) cells. This apparently occurred by alleviating a detergent-induced stress response in kin that otherwise killed actor cells. Additionally, this adaptation trait when transferred also conferred resistance against a lipoprotein toxin delivered to targeted kin. Based on these and other findings, we propose a model for stress adaptation and how OME in myxobacteria promotes cellular cooperation in response to environmental stresses.

The genetic basis of predation by myxobacteria

Myxobacteria (phylum Myxococcota) are abundant and virtually ubiquitous microbial predators. Facultatively multicellular organisms, they are able to form multicellular fruiting bodies and swarm across surfaces, cooperatively hunting for prey. Myxobacterial communities are able to kill a wide range of prey microbes, assimilating their biomass to fuel population growth. Their mechanism of predation is exobiotic - hydrolytic enzymes and toxic metabolites are secreted into the extracellular environment, killing and digesting prey cells from without. However, recent observations of single-cell predation and contact-dependent prey killing challenge the dogma of myxobacterial predation being obligately cooperative. Regardless of their predatory mechanisms, myxobacteria have a broad prey range, which includes Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. Pangenome analyses have shown that their extremely large genomes are mainly composed of accessory genes, which are not shared by all members of their species. It seems that the diversity of accessory genes in different strains provides the breadth of activity required to prey upon such a smorgasbord of microbes, and also explains the considerable strain-to-strain variation in predatory efficiency against specific prey. After providing a short introduction to general features of myxobacterial biology which are relevant to predation, this review brings together a rapidly growing body of work into the molecular mechanisms and genetic basis of predation, presenting a summary of current knowledge, highlighting trends in research and suggesting strategies by which we can potentially exploit myxobacterial predation in the future.

Loratadine Combats Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Modulating Virulence, Antibiotic Resistance, and Biofilm Genes

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has evolved to become resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. New antibiotics are costly to develop and deploy, and they have a limited effective lifespan. Antibiotic adjuvants are molecules that potentiate existing antibiotics through nontoxic mechanisms. We previously reported that loratadine, the active ingredient in Claritin, potentiates multiple cell-wall active antibiotics in vitro and disrupts biofilm formation through a hypothesized inhibition of the master regulatory kinase Stk1. Loratadine and oxacillin combined repressed the expression of key antibiotic resistance genes in the bla and mec operons. We hypothesized that additional genes involved in antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and other cellular pathways would be modulated when looking transcriptome-wide. To test this, we used RNA-seq to quantify transcript levels and found significant effects in gene expression, including genes controlling virulence, antibiotic resistance, metabolism, transcription (core RNA polymerase subunits and sigma factors), and translation (a plethora of genes encoding ribosomal proteins and elongation factor Tu). We further demonstrated the impacts of these transcriptional effects by investigating loratadine treatment on intracellular ATP levels, persister formation, and biofilm formation and morphology. Loratadine minimized biofilm formation in vitro and enhanced the survival of infected Caenorhabditis elegans. These pleiotropic effects and their demonstrated outcomes on MRSA virulence and survival phenotypes position loratadine as an attractive anti-infective against MRSA.

Two reasons to kill: predation and kin discrimination in myxobacteria

Myxobacteria are social microbial predators that use cell-cell contacts to identify bacterial or fungal prey and to differentiate kin relatives to initiate cellular responses. For prey killing, they assemble Tad-like and type III-like secretion systems at contact sites. For kin discrimination (KD), they assemble outer membrane exchange complexes composed of the TraA and TraB receptors at contacts sites. A type VI secretion system and Rhs proteins also mediate KD. Following cellular recognition, these systems deliver appropriate effectors into target cells. For prey, this leads to cell death and lysis for nutrient consumption by myxobacteria. In KD, a panel of effectors are delivered, and if adjacent cells are clonal cells, resistance ensues because they express a cognate panel of immunity factors; while nonkin lack complete immunity and are intoxicated. This review compares and contrasts recent findings from these systems in myxobacteria.

Occurrence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in mine soil ecosystems

Metal(loid) selection contributes to selection pressure on antibiotic resistance, but to our knowledge, evidence of the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) induced by metal(loid)s in mine soil ecosystems is rare. In the current study, using a high-throughput sequencing (HTS)-based metagenomic approach, 819 ARG subtypes were identified in a mine soil ecosystem, indicating that these environmental habitats are important reservoirs of ARGs. The results showed that metal(loid)-induced coselection has an important role in the distribution of soil ARGs. Furthermore, metal(loid) selection-induced ARGs were mainly associated with resistance-nodulation-division (RND) antibiotic efflux, which is distinct from what is observed in agricultural soil ecosystems. By using independent genome binning, metal(loid)s were shown impose coselection pressure on multiple ARGs residing on mobile genetic elements (MGEs), which promotes the dissemination of the antibiotic resistome. Interestingly, the current results showed that the density of several MGEs conferring ARGs was considerably higher in organisms most closely related to the priority pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Together, the results of this study indicate that mine soil ecosystems are important reservoirs of ARGs and that metal(loid)-induced coselection plays critical roles in the dissemination of ARGs in this type of soil habitat. KEY POINTS: • Mining soil ecosystem is a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). • ARGs distribute via bacterial resistance-nodulation-division efflux systems. • Metal(loid)s coselected ARGs residing on mobile genetic elements in P. aeruginosa and E. coli.

Modular Lipoprotein Toxins Transferred by Outer Membrane Exchange Target Discrete Cell Entry Pathways

Bacteria compete against related individuals by delivering toxins. In myxobacteria, a key delivery and kin discrimination mechanism is called outer membrane (OM) exchange (OME). Here, cells that display compatible polymorphic cell surface receptors recognize one another and bidirectionally transfer OM content. Included in the cargo is a suite of polymorphic SitA lipoprotein toxins. Consequently, OME between compatible cells that are not clonemates results in intoxication, while exchange between clonemates is harmonious because cells express a cognate repertoire of immunity proteins, which themselves are not transferred. SitA toxins belong to six nonhomologous families classified by sequence conservation within their N-terminal “escort domains” (EDs), while their C termini contain polymorphic nucleases that target the cytoplasmic compartment. To investigate how toxins delivered to the OM by OME translocate to the cytoplasm, we selected transposon mutants resistant to each family. Our screens identified eight genes that conferred resistance in a SitA family-specific manner. Most of these genes are predicted to localize to the cell envelope, and some resemble proteins that colicins exploit to gain cell entry. By constructing functional chimeric SitAs between families, we show that the ED determines the specificity of resistance. Importantly, a mutant that confers resistance to all six SitA families was discovered. This gene was named traC and plays an accessory role with traAB in OME. This work thus provides insight into the mechanism of kin discrimination in myxobacteria and provides working models for how SitA toxins exploit host proteins to gain cytoplasmic entry.

Polymorphic Toxins and Their Immunity Proteins: Diversity, Evolution, and Mechanisms of Delivery

All bacteria must compete for growth niches and other limited environmental resources. These existential battles are waged at several levels, but one common strategy entails the transfer of growth-inhibitory protein toxins between competing cells. These antibacterial effectors are invariably encoded with immunity proteins that protect cells from intoxication by neighboring siblings. Several effector classes have been described, each designed to breach the cell envelope of target bacteria. Although effector architectures and export pathways tend to be clade specific, phylogenetically distant species often deploy closely related toxin domains. Thus, diverse competition systems are linked through a common reservoir of toxin-immunity pairs that is shared via horizontal gene transfer. These toxin-immunity protein pairs are extraordinarily diverse in sequence, and this polymorphism underpins an important mechanism of self/nonself discrimination in bacteria. This review focuses on the structures, functions, and delivery mechanisms of polymorphic toxin effectors that mediate bacterial competition.

Self-identity barcodes encoded by six expansive polymorphic toxin families discriminate kin in myxobacteria

Myxobacteria are an example of how single-cell individuals can transition into multicellular life by an aggregation strategy. For these and all organisms that consist of social groups of cells, discrimination against, and exclusion of, nonself is critical. In myxobacteria, TraA is a polymorphic cell surface receptor that identifies kin by homotypic binding, and in so doing exchanges outer membrane (OM) proteins and lipids between cells with compatible receptors. However, TraA variability alone is not sufficient to discriminate against all cells, as traA allele diversity is not necessarily high among local strains. To increase discrimination ability, myxobacteria include polymorphic OM lipoprotein toxins called SitA in their delivered cargo, which poison recipient cells that lack the cognate, allele-specific SitI immunity protein. We previously characterized 3 SitAI toxin/immunity pairs that belong to 2 families. Here, we discover 4 additional SitA families. Each family is unique in sequence, but share the characteristic features of SitA: OM-associated toxins delivered by TraA. We demonstrate that, within a SitA family, C-terminal nuclease domains are polymorphic and often modular. Remarkably, sitA loci are strikingly numerous and diverse, with most genomes possessing >30 and up to 83 distinct sitAI loci. Interestingly, all SitA protein families are serially transferred between cells, allowing a SitA inhibitor cell to poison multiple targets, including cells that never made direct contact. The expansive suites of sitAI loci thus serve as identify barcodes to exquisitely discriminate against nonself to ensure populations are genetically homogenous to conduct cooperative behaviors.

A Highly Polymorphic Receptor Governs Many Distinct Self-Recognition Types within the Myxococcales Order

Many biological species distinguish self from nonself by using different mechanisms. Higher animals recognize close kin via complex processes that often involve the five senses, cognition, and learning, whereas some microbes achieve self-recognition simply through the activity of a single genetic locus. Here we describe a single locus, traA, in myxobacteria that governs cell-cell recognition within natural populations. We found that traA is widespread across the order Myxococcales. TraA is highly polymorphic among diverse myxobacterial isolates, and such polymorphisms determine selectivity in self-recognition. Through bioinformatic and experimental analyses, we showed that traA governs many distinct recognition groups within Myxococcales. This report provides an example in which a single locus influences social recognition across a wide phylogenetic range of natural populations.

Self-recognition underlies sociality in many group-living organisms. In bacteria, cells use various strategies to recognize kin to form social groups and, in some cases, to transition into multicellular life. One strategy relies on a single genetic locus that encodes a variable phenotypic tag (“greenbeard”) for recognizing other tag bearers. Previously, we discovered a polymorphic cell surface receptor called TraA that directs self-identification through homotypic interactions in the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. Recognition by TraA leads to cellular resource sharing in a process called outer membrane exchange (OME). A second gene in the traA operon, traB, is also required for OME but is not involved in recognition. Our prior studies of TraA identified only six recognition groups among closely related M. xanthus isolates. Here we hypothesize that the number of traA polymorphisms and, consequently, the diversity of recognition in wild isolates are much greater. To test this hypothesis, we expand the scope of TraA characterization to the order Myxococcales. From genomic sequences within the three suborders of Myxococcales, we identified 90 traA orthologs. Sequence analyses and functional characterization of traAB loci suggest that OME is well maintained among diverse myxobacterial taxonomic groups. Importantly, TraA orthologs are highly polymorphic within their variable domain, the region that confers selectivity in self-recognition. We experimentally defined 10 distinct recognition groups and, based on phylogenetic and experimental analyses, predicted >60 recognition groups among the 90 traA alleles. Taken together, our findings revealed a widespread greenbeard locus that mediates the diversity of self-recognition across the order Myxococcales.

Kin discrimination and outer membrane exchange in Myxococcus xanthus: A comparative analysis among natural isolates

Genetically similar cells of the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus cooperate at multiple social behaviours, including motility and multicellular development. Another social interaction in this species is outer membrane exchange (OME), a behaviour of unknown primary benefit in which cells displaying closely related variants of the outer membrane protein TraA transiently fuse and exchange membrane contents. Functionally incompatible TraA variants do not mediate OME, which led to the proposal that TraA incompatibilities determine patterns of intercellular cooperation in nature, but how this might occur remains unclear. Using natural isolates from a centimetre-scale patch of soil, we analyse patterns of TraA diversity and ask whether relatedness at TraA is causally related to patterns of kin discrimination in the form of both colony-merger incompatibilities (CMIs) and interstrain antagonisms. A large proportion of TraA functional diversity documented among global isolates is predicted to be contained within this cm-scale population. We find evidence of balancing selection on the highly variable PA14-portion of TraA and extensive transfer of traA alleles across genomic backgrounds. CMIs are shown to be common among strains identical at TraA, suggesting that CMIs are not generally caused by TraA dissimilarity. Finally, it has been proposed that interstrain antagonisms might be caused by OME-mediated toxin transfer. However, we predict that most strain pairs previously shown to exhibit strong antagonisms are incapable of OME due to TraA dissimilarity. Overall, our results suggest that most documented patterns of kin discrimination in a natural population of M. xanthus are not causally related to the TraA sequences of interactants.

Infectious polymorphic toxins delivered by outer membrane exchange discriminate kin in myxobacteria

Myxobacteria are known for complex social behaviors including outer membrane exchange (OME), in which cells exchange large amounts of outer membrane lipids and proteins upon contact. The TraA cell surface receptor selects OME partners based on a variable domain. However, traA polymorphism alone is not sufficient to precisely discriminate kin. Here, we report a novel family of OME-delivered toxins that promote kin discrimination of OME partners. These SitA lipoprotein toxins are polymorphic and widespread in myxobacteria. Each sitA is associated with a cognate sitI immunity gene, and in some cases a sitB accessory gene. Remarkably, we show that SitA is transferred serially between target cells, allowing the toxins to move cell-to-cell like an infectious agent. Consequently, SitA toxins define strong identity barriers between strains and likely contribute to population structure, maintenance of cooperation, and strain diversification. Moreover, these results highlight the diversity of systems evolved to deliver toxins between bacteria.

Bacterial aminoacyl phospholipids - Biosynthesis and role in basic cellular processes and pathogenicity

The bacterial cell membrane accomplishes the controlled exchange of molecules with the extracellular space and mediates specific interactions with the environment. However, the cytoplasmic membrane also includes vulnerable targets for antimicrobial agents. A common feature of cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) produced by other bacteria or by the host immune system is to utilize the negative charge of bacterial phospholipids such as phosphatidylglycerol (PG) or cardiolipin (CL) for initial adherence and subsequent penetration into the membrane bilayer. To resist cationic antimicrobials many bacteria integrate positive charges into the membrane surface. This is accomplished by aminoacylation of negatively charged (PG) or (CL) with alanine, arginine, or lysine residues. The Multiple Peptide Resistance Factor (MprF) of Staphylococcus aureus is the prototype of a highly conserved protein family of aminoacyl phosphatidylglycerol synthases (aaPGSs) which modify PG or CL with amino acids. MprF is an oligomerizing membrane protein responsible for both, synthesis of lysyl phosphatidylglycerol (LysPG) in the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane and translocation of LysPG to the outer leaflet. This review focuses on occurrence, synthesis and function of bacterial aminoacyl phospholipids (aaPLs) and on the role of such lipids in basic cellular processes and pathogenicity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Bacterial Lipids edited by Russell E. Bishop.

Multifaceted Interfaces of Bacterial Competition

Microbial communities span many orders of magnitude, ranging in scale from hundreds of cells on a single particle of soil to billions of cells within the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. Bacterial cells in all habitats are members of densely populated local environments that facilitate competition between neighboring cells. Accordingly, bacteria require dynamic systems to respond to the competitive challenges and the fluctuations in environmental circumstances that tax their fitness. The assemblage of bacteria into communities provides an environment where competitive mechanisms are developed into new strategies for survival. In this minireview, we highlight a number of mechanisms used by bacteria to compete between species. We focus on recent discoveries that illustrate the dynamic and multifaceted functions used in bacterial competition and discuss how specific mechanisms provide a foundation for understanding bacterial community development and function.

Myxobacteria: Moving, Killing, Feeding, and Surviving Together

Myxococcus xanthus, like other myxobacteria, is a social bacterium that moves and feeds cooperatively in predatory groups. On surfaces, rod-shaped vegetative cells move in search of the prey in a coordinated manner, forming dynamic multicellular groups referred to as swarms. Within the swarms, cells interact with one another and use two separate locomotion systems. Adventurous motility, which drives the movement of individual cells, is associated with the secretion of slime that forms trails at the leading edge of the swarms. It has been proposed that cellular traffic along these trails contributes to M. xanthus social behavior via stigmergic regulation. However, most of the cells travel in groups by using social motility, which is cell contact-dependent and requires a large number of individuals. Exopolysaccharides and the retraction of type IV pili at alternate poles of the cells are the engines associated with social motility. When the swarms encounter prey, the population of M. xanthus lyses and takes up nutrients from nearby cells. This cooperative and highly density-dependent feeding behavior has the advantage that the pool of hydrolytic enzymes and other secondary metabolites secreted by the entire group is shared by the community to optimize the use of the degradation products. This multicellular behavior is especially observed in the absence of nutrients. In this condition, M. xanthus swarms have the ability to organize the gliding movements of 1000s of rods, synchronizing rippling waves of oscillating cells, to form macroscopic fruiting bodies, with three subpopulations of cells showing division of labor. A small fraction of cells either develop into resistant myxospores or remain as peripheral rods, while the majority of cells die, probably to provide nutrients to allow aggregation and spore differentiation. Sporulation within multicellular fruiting bodies has the benefit of enabling survival in hostile environments, and increases germination and growth rates when cells encounter favorable conditions. Herein, we review how these social bacteria cooperate and review the main cell–cell signaling systems used for communication to maintain multicellularity.

Tissue repair in myxobacteria: A cooperative strategy to heal cellular damage

Damage repair is a fundamental requirement of all life as organisms find themselves in challenging and fluctuating environments. In particular, damage to the barrier between an organism and its environment (e.g. skin, plasma membrane, bacterial cell envelope) is frequent because these organs/organelles directly interact with the external world. Here, we discuss the general strategies that bacteria use to cope with damage to their cell envelope and their repair limits. We then describe a novel damage-coping mechanism used by multicellular myxobacteria. We propose that cell-cell transfer of membrane material within a population serves as a wound-healing strategy and provide evidence for its utility. We suggest that--similar to how tissues in eukaryotes have evolved cooperative methods of damage repair--so too have some bacteria that live a multicellular lifestyle.

Sibling Rivalry in Myxococcus xanthus Is Mediated by Kin Recognition and a Polyploid Prophage

Myxobacteria form complex social communities that elicit multicellular behaviors. One such behavior is kin recognition, in which cells identify siblings via their polymorphic TraA cell surface receptor, to transiently fuse outer membranes and exchange their contents. In addition, outer membrane exchange (OME) regulates behaviors, such as inhibition of wild-type Myxococcus xanthus (DK1622) from swarming. Here we monitored the fate of motile cells and surprisingly found they were killed by nonmotile siblings. The kill phenotype required OME (i.e., was TraA dependent). The genetic basis of killing was traced to ancestral strains used to construct DK1622. Specifically, the kill phenotype mapped to a large "polyploid prophage," Mx alpha. Sensitive strains contained a 200-kb deletion that removed two of three Mx alpha units. To explain these results, we suggest that Mx alpha expresses a toxin-antitoxin cassette that uses the OME machinery of M. xanthus to transfer a toxin that makes the population "addicted" to Mx alpha. Thus, siblings that lost Mx alpha units (no immunity) are killed by cells that harbor the element. To test this, an Mx alpha-harboring laboratory strain was engineered (by traA allele swap) to recognize a closely related species, Myxococcus fulvus. As a result, M. fulvus, which lacks Mx alpha, was killed. These TraA-mediated antagonisms provide an explanation for how kin recognition specificity might have evolved in myxobacteria. That is, recognition specificity is determined by polymorphisms in traA, which we hypothesize were selected for because OME with non-kin leads to lethal outcomes.

IMPORTANCE

The transition from single cell to multicellular life is considered a major evolutionary event. Myxobacteria have successfully made this transition. For example, in response to starvation, individual cells aggregate into multicellular fruiting bodies wherein cells differentiate into spores. To build fruits, cells need to recognize their siblings, and in part, this is mediated by the TraA cell surface receptor. Surprisingly, we report that TraA recognition can also involve sibling killing. We show that killing originates from a prophage-like element that has apparently hijacked the TraA system to deliver a toxin to kin. We hypothesize that this killing system has imposed selective pressures on kin recognition, which in turn has resulted in TraA polymorphisms and hence many different recognition groups.

Comparative genomic analysis of evolutionarily conserved but functionally uncharacterized membrane proteins in archaea: Prediction of novel components of secretion, membrane remodeling and glycosylation systems

A systematic comparative genomic analysis of all archaeal membrane proteins that have been projected to the last archaeal common ancestor gene set led to the identification of several novel components of predicted secretion, membrane remodeling, and protein glycosylation systems. Among other findings, most crenarchaea have been shown to encode highly diverged orthologs of the membrane insertase YidC, which is nearly universal in bacteria, eukaryotes, and euryarchaea. We also identified a vast family of archaeal proteins, including the C-terminal domain of N-glycosylation protein AglD, as membrane flippases homologous to the flippase domain of bacterial multipeptide resistance factor MprF, a bifunctional lysylphosphatidylglycerol synthase and flippase. Additionally, several proteins were predicted to function as membrane transporters. The results of this work, combined with our previous analyses, reveal an unexpected diversity of putative archaeal membrane-associated functional systems that remain to be functionally characterized. A more general conclusion from this work is that the currently available collection of archaeal (and bacterial) genomes could be sufficient to identify (almost) all widespread functional modules and develop experimentally testable predictions of their functions.

How Myxobacteria Cooperate

Prokaryotes often reside in groups where a high degree of relatedness has allowed the evolution of cooperative behaviors. However, very few bacteria or archaea have made the successful transition from unicellular to obligate multicellular life. A notable exception is the myxobacteria, in which cells cooperate to perform group functions highlighted by fruiting body development, an obligate multicellular function. Like all multicellular organisms, myxobacteria face challenges in how to organize and maintain multicellularity. These challenges include maintaining population homeostasis, carrying out tissue repair and regulating the behavior of non-cooperators. Here, we describe the major cooperative behaviors that myxobacteria use: motility, predation and development. In addition, this review emphasizes recent discoveries in the social behavior of outer membrane exchange, wherein kin share outer membrane contents. Finally, we review evidence that outer membrane exchange may be involved in regulating population homeostasis, thus serving as a social tool for myxobacteria to make the cyclic transitions from unicellular to multicellular states.

Cell rejuvenation and social behaviors promoted by LPS exchange in myxobacteria

Bacterial cells in their native environments must cope with factors that compromise the integrity of the cell. The mechanisms of coping with damage in a social or multicellular context are poorly understood. Here we investigated how a model social bacterium, Myxococcus xanthus, approaches this problem. We focused on the social behavior of outer membrane exchange (OME), in which cells transiently fuse and exchange their outer membrane (OM) contents. This behavior requires TraA, a homophilic cell surface receptor that identifies kin based on similarities in a polymorphic region, and the TraB cohort protein. As observed by electron microscopy, TraAB overexpression catalyzed a prefusion OM junction between cells. We then showed that damage sustained by the OM of one population was repaired by OME with a healthy population. Specifically, LPS mutants that were defective in motility and sporulation were rescued by OME with healthy donors. In addition, a mutant with a conditional lethal mutation in lpxC, an essential gene required for lipid A biosynthesis, was rescued by Tra-dependent interactions with a healthy population. Furthermore, lpxC cells with damaged OMs, which were more susceptible to antibiotics, had resistance conferred to them by OME with healthy donors. We also show that OME has beneficial fitness consequences to all cells. Here, in merged populations of damaged and healthy cells, OME catalyzed a dilution of OM damage, increasing developmental sporulation outcomes of the combined population by allowing it to reach a threshold density. We propose that OME is a mechanism that myxobacteria use to overcome cell damage and to transition to a multicellular organism.