horizontal gene transfer
Research ArticleSpecificity and Selective Advantage of an Exclusion System in the Integrative and Conjugative Element ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilisHorizontal gene transfer is a driving force in bacterial evolution, responsible for the spread of many traits, including antibiotic and heavy metal resistance. Conjugation, one type of horizontal gene transfer, involves DNA transfer from donor to recipient cells through conjugation machinery and direct cell-cell contact.
Research ArticleIdentification of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa O17 and O15 O-Specific Antigen Biosynthesis Loci Reveals an ABC Transporter-Dependent Synthesis Pathway and Mechanisms of Genetic DiversityP. aeruginosa is a problematic opportunistic pathogen that causes diseases in those with compromised host defenses, such as those suffering from cystic fibrosis. This bacterium produces a number of virulence factors, including a serotype-specific O antigen. Here, we identified and characterized the gene clusters that produce the O15 and O17 O antigens and show that...
Research ArticleComparative Genomic Analysis of Closely Related Acetobacter pasteurianus Strains Provides Evidence of Horizontal Gene Transfer and Reveals Factors Necessary for ThermotoleranceAcetobacter pasteurianus, an industrial vinegar-producing strain, exhibits diverse phenotypic differences such as respiratory activity related to acetic acid production, acetic acid resistance, or thermotolerance. In this study, we investigated the correlations between genome sequences and phenotypes among closely related A. pasteurianus strains. The gene...
Research ArticleThe Prophages of Citrobacter rodentium Represent a Conserved Family of Horizontally Acquired Mobile Genetic Elements Associated with Enteric Evolution towards PathogenicityBacteriophages are obligate intracellular parasites of bacteria. Some bacteriophages can confer novel bacterial phenotypes, including pathogenicity, through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The pathogenic bacterium Citrobacter rodentium infects mice using mechanisms similar to those employed by human gastrointestinal pathogens, making it an important model organism....
Research ArticlePlasmid Characteristics Modulate the Propensity of Gene Exchange in Bacterial VesiclesExtracellular vesicle formation and exchange are common within bacterial populations. Vesicles package multiple types of biomolecules, including genetic material. The exchange of extracellular vesicles containing genetic material facilitates interspecies DNA transfer and may be a promiscuous mechanism of horizontal gene transfer. Unlike other mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer, it is unclear whether characteristics of the exchanged...
Research ArticlePlanktonic Interference and Biofilm Alliance between Aggregation Substance and Endocarditis- and Biofilm-Associated Pili in Enterococcus faecalisMost bacteria express multiple adhesins that contribute to surface attachment and colonization. However, the network and relationships between the various adhesins of a single bacterial species are less well understood. Here, we examined two well-characterized adhesins in Enterococcus faecalis, aggregation substance and endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pili, and...
Research Article | SpotlightFluorescence-Based Detection of Natural Transformation in Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumanniiAntibiotic resistance is a pressing global health concern with the rise of multiple and panresistant pathogens. The rapid and unfailing resistance to multiple antibiotics of the nosocomial agent Acinetobacter baumannii, notably to carbapenems, prompt to understand the mechanisms behind acquisition of new antibiotic resistance genes. Natural transformation, one of the...
- Meeting PresentationEvolution of a Vegetarian Vibrio: Metabolic Specialization of Vibrio breoganii to Macroalgal Substrates
Vibrios are often considered animal specialists or generalists. Here, we show that Vibrio breoganii has undergone massive genomic changes to become specialized on algal carbohydrates. Accompanying genomic changes include massive gene import and loss. These vibrios may help us better understand how algal biomass is degraded in the environment and may serve as a...