Encystment
or
Fruiting
Stage
of
Myxobacteria -
Under
appropriate
conditions,
a
swam
of
vegetative
cells
gathers
together
at
different
points
in
the
slimy
matrix
and
they
heap
themselves
up
to
form
fruiting
bodies.
Perhaps
exhaustion
of
tyrosine
and
phenylalanine
from
medium
favors
fruiting.
Heap
may
be
raised
above
the
substratum.
Within
a
fruiting
body
or
cyst
the
rod
cells
undergo
differentiation
into
shortened,
rounded,
or
dormant
resting
cells
known
as
myxospores
or
cysts
or
microcysts.
The
shortened,
thick
walled
cells
in
the
cyst
are
usually
enveloped
by
large
capsules
or
gelatinous
slime.





