Biomineralization induced by Myxobacteria

Myxococcus xanthus is a Gram negative, non-pathogenic, common soil bacterium that belongs to the δsubdivision of the Proteobacteria. According to the data, it is demonstrated that, depending on the chemistry of the culture media, M. xanthus is able to induce the formation of phosphates (struvite, schertelite, newberyite), carbonates (calcite, Mg-calcite, vaterite) and sulfates (barite, taylorite). This remarkable capacity for biomineralization of M. xanthus has important implications. On one hand, the fact that M. xanthus is able to induce the precipitation of vaterite, it may shed light to understand the processes involved in the precipitation and stabilization of this rare polimorph of calcium carbonate. Moreover, bacterial vaterites show differences when compared to those inorganically produced that may be used as biomarkers with the goal of determining the bacterial/inorganic origin of natural samples with implications in identifying bacterial activity on Earth and elsewhere. Finally, biomineralization induced by M. xanthus is of singular interest when applied to the protection and conservation of ornamental stone, in particular to the treatment of porous limestone.