Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach
Published on: December 14, 2019
Plasmid promiscuity and chastity and its uses
1Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Bacterial plasmids are obligate and intracellular genetic elements that replicate and are maintained autonomously from the chromosome. They are ubiquitous. Some of them are relatively more promiscuous than others. Plasmid genetic systems that contribute to relative promiscuity or chastity in naturally occurring plasmids are described and discussed. Both the promiscuity and the chastity of plasmid-based genetic systems have applications in bacterial molecular genetics, in the production of recombinant DNA products and in the breeding and use of desirable bacteria. The role of these systems in such applications is considered.
Related Concept Videos
Plasmids
Conjugation
Mechanism of Conjugation
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle
Antibiotic Selection
Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...

