Myxobacteria conduct complex social traits that requires populations to be highly related and devoid of exploiters. To enrich for clonal cells in populations, they employ kin discrimination mechanisms. One key system involves a polymorphic cell surface receptor, TraA, which recognizes self by homotypic interactions with neighboring myxobacterial cells. Recent studies revealed that TraA and its partner TraB are fluid outer membrane proteins that coalesce into foci upon recognition of kin. The formation of foci leads to transient membrane fusion junctions and the bidirectional exchange of outer membrane components that facilitates cooperative behaviors. Additionally, expansive suites of polymorphic lipoprotein toxins are exchanged, which act as self-identity barcodes that exquisitely discriminate against nonself to assemble homogenous populations.

中文翻译：

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粘细菌中的亲属识别和外膜交换（OME）。

粘细菌具有复杂的社会特征，需要种群高度相关且没有剥削者。为了丰富群体中的克隆细胞，他们采用了亲属歧视机制。一个关键系统涉及多态性细胞表面受体 TraA，它通过与邻近粘细菌细胞的同型相互作用来识别自身。最近的研究表明，TraA 和它的伙伴 TraB 是流体外膜蛋白，在识别亲属时会聚结成病灶。病灶的形成导致瞬时膜融合连接和促进合作行为的外膜成分的双向交换。此外，大量的多态性脂蛋白毒素被交换，它们充当自我身份条形码，精妙地区分异己以组装同质种群。