Straight-chain fatty acids are dispensable in the myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus for vegetative growth and fruiting body formation.

Inactivation of the MXAN_0853 gene blocked the production in Myxococcus xanthus of straight-chain fatty acids which otherwise represent 30% of total fatty acids. Despite this drastic change in the fatty acid profile, no change in phenotype could be observed, which contrasts with previous interpretations of the role of straight-chain fatty acids in the organism's development.