“Quorum sensing” is a process of detecting surrounding cells, which are found in

When starved of amino acids, Myxobacteria detect surrounding cells in a process known as quorum sensing. They migrate towards each other and aggregate to form fruiting bodies up to 500 micrometres long and contain approximately 1,00,000 bacterial cells. About one in 10 cells migrate to the top of these fruiting bodies and differentiate into a specialised dormant state called myxospores, which are more resistant to drying and other adverse environmental conditions than ordinary cells.