Additionally, the authors sequenced the genome of this organism and identified homologs to genes conserved among filamentous cyanobacteria that have been demonstrated to be essential for motility in Nostoc punctiforme and may encode for the junctional pore proteins (hps locus) or a chemotaxis system (hmp locus).
(b) In the model that describes the potential activity of the junctional pores (How myxobacteria glide. Curr. Biol. 2002, 12, 369–377) it is not suggested that the nozzle actually “contracts” as mentioned in the ms. The swelling of the slime material in the nozzle fills the nozzle and eventually will generate a counter-force of the nozzle walls of the nozzle that results in the ejection of the slime. Please rephrase the text accordingly.