Mechanisms of, and Barriers to, Horizontal Gene Transfer between Bacteria

@article{Thomas2005MechanismsOA,
  title={Mechanisms of, and Barriers to, Horizontal Gene Transfer between Bacteria},
  author={Christopher M Thomas and Kaare M Nielsen},
  journal={Nature Reviews Microbiology},
  year={2005},
  volume={3},
  pages={711-721}
}
Bacteria evolve rapidly not only by mutation and rapid multiplication, but also by transfer of DNA, which can result in strains with beneficial mutations from more than one parent. Transformation involves the release of naked DNA followed by uptake and recombination. Homologous recombination and DNA-repair processes normally limit this to DNA from similar bacteria. However, if a gene moves onto a broad-host-range plasmid it might be able to spread without the need for recombination. There are… 
View on Springer
akka.genetics.wisc.edu
1,656 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
88
Background Citations
738
Methods Citations
13
Results Citations
7

1,656 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

Horizontal Gene Transfer: Uptake of Extracellular DNA by Bacteria
The role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of selected foodborne bacterial pathogens.
  • B. G. Kelly, A. Vespermann, D. Bolton
  • Biology
    Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
  • 2009
Regulatory integration of horizontally-transferred genes in bacteria.
TLDR
An important corollary to the acquisition of new genes is the problem of how best to integrate them in the existing gene regulatory circuits of the recipient so that fitness is not compromised initially and can be enhanced in the future through optimal expression of the new genes.
Various pathways leading to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance by natural transformation
TLDR
Results from this study suggest that natural transformation with species-foreign DNA might result in the uptake of a wide range of DNA fragments; leading to changes in the antimicrobial susceptibility profile and contributing to the generation of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria.
Gene transfer agents: phage-like elements of genetic exchange
TLDR
The defining characteristics of the GTAs that have been identified to date are discussed, along with potential functions for these agents and the possible evolutionary forces that act on the genes involved in their production.
Mechanisms of Horizontal Gene Transfer
TLDR
The mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer are reviewed, including recent findings on the natural genetic competence, and the transfer of two important antibiotic resistance genes are considered: the methicillin resistance gene, mecA (in Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome) and the linezolid resistance gene.
Horizontal Gene Transfer: Breaking Borders Between Living Kingdoms
TLDR
This chapter summarizes old paradigms and novel findings in these three genetic processes and includes the latest research on the recently described vesicle-mediated bacterial communication mechanism.
Plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer is a coevolutionary process.
Efficient Gene Transfer in Bacterial Cell Chains
TLDR
Conjugative DNA transfer between Bacillus subtilis cells in real time appeared to occur at a cell pole or along the lateral cell surface of either cell, and when acquired by 1 cell in a chain, the conjugative DNA spread rapidly from cell to cell within the chain through sequential conjugation events.
Efficient Gene Transfer in Bacterial Cell Chains 2011
TLDR
In contrast to previous predictions that transfer would occur preferentially from the donor cell pole, it is found that when acquired by 1 cell in a chain, the conjugative DNA spread rapidly from cell to cell within the chain through sequential conjugation events.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 181 REFERENCES
Barriers to horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation in soil bacteria
TLDR
Barriers active against interspecies transfer are present at different phases of the transformation process, and the functionality of these barriers will be discussed, and seen in relation to mechanisms that may enable bacterial cells to respond to environmental stress by adaptive evolution.
Maintenance of species identity and controlling speciation of bacteria: a new function for restriction/modification systems?
Horizontal Gene Pool: Bacterial Plasmids and Gene Spread
TLDR
The objective of this study was to establish a baseline for the investigation of the role of plasmids in the maintenance of bacterial diversity and adaptation in the presence of other bacteria.
Barriers to Genetic Exchange between Bacterial Species: Streptococcus pneumoniae Transformation
TLDR
It is demonstrated that sexual isolation in transformation between Streptococcus pneumoniae recipient strains and donor DNA from related strains and species follows the described exponential relationship and the Hex mismatch repair system poses a significant barrier to recombination.
Molecular keys to speciation: DNA polymorphism and the control of genetic exchange in enterobacteria.
TLDR
The results reported here reveal that genetic barriers can be established, eliminated, or modified by manipulating two systems which control genetic recombination, SOS and mismatch repair.
Analysis of the sequence and gene products of the transfer region of the F sex factor.
TLDR
This review will concentrate on the genes required for bacterial conjugation that are encoded within the transfer region (or regions) of conjugative plasmids, which has been the paradigm for conjugations since it was discovered nearly 50 years ago.
Translocation of DNA across bacterial membranes.
TLDR
On the basis of analogies and homologies between the proteins involved in DNA translocation and protein secretion, a common basic model for these processes is presented.
Bacterial gene transfer by natural genetic transformation in the environment.
TLDR
The current understanding of the biology of transformation is summarized to provide the platform on which aspects of bacterial transformation in water, soil, and sediments and the habitat of pathogens are discussed.
Horizontal acquisition of divergent chromosomal DNA in bacteria: effects of mutator phenotypes.
TLDR
It is concluded that mutators can accelerate bacterial adaptation when desired genetic variability is present within DNA fragments of up to approximately 30% divergence.
Recombination and the population structures of bacterial pathogens.
TLDR
In many bacterial species, including Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus, evolutionary change at neutral (housekeeping) loci is more likely to occur by recombination than mutation and can result in the elimination of any deep-rooted phylogenetic signal.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...