identifier: traitmech:000074 label: mycelial growth definition: A morphology trait in which a bacterium grows as branching, filamentous hyphae that form a mycelium, often with subsequent differentiation into aerial hyphae and spores, as in Streptomyces. definition_source: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1968 trait_category: MORPHOLOGY term_kind: CLASS mapping_status: REVIEWED parent_traits: - METPO:1000059 synonyms: - synonym_text: mycelium-forming synonym_type: RELATED_SYNONYM source: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1968 - synonym_text: hyphal growth synonym_type: RELATED_SYNONYM source: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro3178 evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1968 notes: Flärdh & Buttner describe Streptomyces growth as a branching hyphal mycelium with subsequent morphological differentiation. - reference: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro3178 notes: Claessen et al. treat filamentous/mycelial growth as a bacterial solution to multicellularity. canonical_examples: - taxon_id: NCBITaxon:1902 taxon_label: Streptomyces coelicolor note: "Model filamentous/mycelial actinomycete; antibiotic-producing developmental model." reference: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1968 causal_graphs: - graph_id: mycelial_branching_hyphal_growth title: Branching hyphal growth produces a bacterial mycelium description: Evidence-backed causal sketch linking apical hyphal extension and branching to a multicellular mycelium with subsequent aerial-hypha differentiation. nodes: - node_id: mycelial_growth_trait label: mycelial growth node_type: TRAIT grounding: traitmech:000074 description: Branching filamentous hyphal growth forming a mycelium. - node_id: hyphal_extension label: apical hyphal extension and branching node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Polar tip growth and branch initiation generating a hyphal network. - node_id: aerial_hyphae_differentiation label: aerial hyphae and spore differentiation node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Developmental transition to aerial hyphae bearing spores (as in Streptomyces). - node_id: divIVA_polarisome label: DivIVA polarisome node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN description: DivIVA-organized polarisome complex marking and driving hyphal tip growth. - node_id: polarisome_splitting label: polarisome splitting node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Splitting of polarisomes at growing tips to seed daughter polarisomes and new branches. - node_id: branch_emergence label: new branch emergence node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Initiation of new lateral hyphal branches from daughter polarisomes. - node_id: cglA_ligase label: CglA glycopolymer ligase node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN description: LCP-family ligase attaching wall teichoic acids/glycopolymers to peptidoglycan. - node_id: wta_attachment label: wall teichoic acid attachment to peptidoglycan node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Covalent attachment of wall teichoic acids/glycopolymers to the peptidoglycan sacculus. - node_id: hyphal_tip_growth_zones label: hyphal tips and branching points node_type: CELLULAR_LOCALIZATION description: Zones of active cell-wall incorporation at hyphal tips and branch sites. - node_id: ftsz_ring_positioning label: FtsZ-ring positioning and septum placement node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Formation and correct placement of FtsZ rings and division septa in hyphae. - node_id: ftsz_z_ladders label: FtsZ Z-ladder arrays node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN description: Ladder-like arrays of multiple FtsZ rings along sporogenic aerial hyphae. - node_id: sporulation_septation label: sporulation septation and spore-chain formation node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Synchronous septation of sporogenic hyphae yielding regular spore chains. - node_id: sapB_chaplins_rodlins label: SapB / chaplins / rodlins node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN description: Surfactant SapB and hydrophobic chaplin/rodlin sheath proteins aiding aerial escape. edges: - subject: hyphal_extension predicate: enables object: mycelial_growth_trait description: Sustained apical extension and branching realize mycelial growth. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1968 notes: Flärdh & Buttner describe Streptomyces growth as a branching hyphal mycelium. predicate_id: RO:0002327 - subject: mycelial_growth_trait predicate: develops into object: aerial_hyphae_differentiation description: Mycelial colonies differentiate aerial hyphae and spores. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1038/nrmicro3178 notes: Claessen et al. treat filamentous/mycelial growth as a bacterial solution to multicellularity with developmental differentiation. predicate_id: biolink:develops_into - subject: divIVA_polarisome predicate: directs object: hyphal_extension description: The DivIVA polarisome drives apical (tip) growth of vegetative and aerial hyphae. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1128/JB.00153-23 notes: The DivIVA-polarisome drives the growth of both branching vegetative hyphae and non-branching aerial hyphae. predicate_id: RO:0002211 - subject: polarisome_splitting predicate: causes object: branch_emergence description: Splitting of polarisomes at growing tips gives rise to daughter polarisomes that nucleate new branches. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1093/femsml/uqad020 notes: Splitting of the polarisomes at growing tips gives rise to daughter polarisomes coordinating branches. predicate_id: biolink:causes - subject: cglA_ligase predicate: mediates object: wta_attachment description: CglA catalyzes attachment of wall teichoic acids/glycopolymers to peptidoglycan during wall biogenesis. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1128/mbio.01492-24 notes: CglA is an LCP-LytR_C glycopolymer ligase that catalyzes attachment of WTAs to peptidoglycan. - subject: cglA_ligase predicate: localizes to object: hyphal_tip_growth_zones description: CglA localizes to regions of active cell-wall incorporation at hyphal tips and branching points. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1128/mbio.01492-24 notes: YPet-CglA localizes to regions of active cell-wall incorporation - hyphal tips and branching points. predicate_id: biolink:located_in - subject: cglA_ligase predicate: enables object: ftsz_ring_positioning description: Loss of CglA/glycopolymers disrupts FtsZ-ring formation/positioning and causes misplaced septa. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1128/mbio.01492-24 notes: Loss of CglA causes failures in FtsZ-ring formation and positioning and misplaced division septa. predicate_id: RO:0002327 - subject: ftsz_z_ladders predicate: drives object: sporulation_septation description: Ladder-like arrays of FtsZ rings constrict and separate to yield regular spore chains. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1128/mbio.01492-24 notes: FtsZ forms ladder-like arrays whose constriction and separation yields regularly shaped spores. - subject: sapB_chaplins_rodlins predicate: promotes object: aerial_hyphae_differentiation description: SapB surfactant and chaplin/rodlin sheaths overcome surface tension to promote aerial hyphae emergence. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1093/femsml/uqad020 notes: Aerial development involves chaplin/rodlin hydrophobic sheaths and surfactant SapB to overcome surface tension. predicate_id: RO:0002213 curation_history: - timestamp: '2026-06-03T00:00:00Z' curator: claude action: PROPOSED_FROM_RESEARCH changes: Proposed candidate MORPHOLOGY trait (mycelial growth) from literature research to fill the multicellular/developmental gap. llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-06-09T15:00:00Z' curator: claude action: CURATED_CAUSAL_GRAPH changes: Added evidence-backed causal graph (branching hyphal growth / differentiation) with RO/biolink predicate groundings; promoted PROPOSED to REVIEWED. llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-06-23T00:00:00Z' curator: claude action: ENRICH_CAUSAL_GRAPH changes: Added 7 evidence-backed generic edges (10 new nodes) from the deep-research report. llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-06-24T17:21:13Z' curator: claude action: GROUND_CAUSAL_PREDICATES changes: Grounded 5 causal-edge predicate_id field(s) via mappings/predicate_grounding.tsv (RO:0002211×1, biolink:causes×1, biolink:located_in×1, RO:0002327×1, RO:0002213×1). llm_assisted: true