Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 31, 2026

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
Published on: March 24, 2023
Direct detection and quantification of horizontal gene transfer by using flow cytometry and gfp as a reporter gene
Søren J Sørensen1, Anders H Sørensen, Lars H Hansen
1Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Copenhagen, Sølvgade 83 H, DK 1307, Copenhagen, Denmark. SJS@MERMAID.MOLBIO.KU.DK
Abstract:
A new cultivation-independent method for studying conjugal gene transfer between bacteria was evaluated. The method was based on direct detection and enumeration of donor and transconjugant bacterial cells by flow cytometry. Specific detection of transconjugants was obtained by using a conjugative plasmid tagged with a reporter gene (gfp) encoding green fluorescent protein. A chromosomal encoded repressor (lacI(ql)) repressed expression of GFP in the donor bacteria. Enumeration of the donor cells was performed after induction of GFP expression by the addition of inducer isopropyl-thio-beta-D-galactoside (IPTG). The method presented here provided simple and precise quantification of horizontal gene transfer between both Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida strains.
More Related Videos
10:25Monitoring of Ubiquitin-proteasome Activity in Living Cells Using a Degron (dgn)-destabilized Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-based Reporter Protein
Published on: November 10, 2012
10:40Studying Interactions of Staphylococcus aureus with Neutrophils by Flow Cytometry and Time Lapse Microscopy
Published on: July 17, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Reporter Genes
Commonly used reporter...
Horizontal Gene Transfer