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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation
Published on: January 4, 2017
Pheromone-inducible conjugation in Enterococcus faecalis: a model for the evolution of biological complexity?
Briana K Kozlowicz1, Martin Dworkin, Gary M Dunny
1Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, 1460 Mayo Bldg., MMC196, 420 Delaware St., SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Abstract:
Pheromone-inducible transfer of the plasmid pCF10 in Enterococcus faecalis is regulated using a complicated network of proteins and RNAs. The plasmid itself has been assembled from parts garnered from a variety of sources, and many aspects of the system resemble a biological kluge. Recently several new functions of various pCF10 gene products that participate in regulation of plasmid transfer have been identified. The results indicate that selective pressures controlling the evolution of the plasmid have produced a highly complex regulatory network with multiple biological functions that may serve well as a model for the evolution of biological complexity.
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