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Related Concept Videos

Conjugation01:19

Conjugation

Conjugation is a form of horizontal gene transfer that primarily occurs in bacteria and some archaea, promoting genetic diversity and adaptation. Bacteria can acquire resistance genes through conjugative plasmids, allowing them to survive antibiotic treatments that would otherwise be lethal. This process involves direct contact between cells through specialized structures such as the sex pilus and is mediated by conjugative plasmids, including the F (fertility) factor.Conjugation requires...
Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic microbes like yeast. These small, circular DNA structures typically contain fewer than 30 genes, although some may exist linearly. Plasmids vary in their number within a cell, known as copy number. Single-copy plasmids are present in one copy per cell and multi-copy plasmids are present in multiple copies, reaching over 100 copies per cell.Plasmids usually replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA...
Bacterial Transformation01:33

Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
Antibiotic Selection00:57

Antibiotic Selection

Overview
Mechanism of Conjugation01:19

Mechanism of Conjugation

Bacterial conjugation is a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer that enables the exchange of genetic material between bacterial cells through direct contact. This process is facilitated by a donor cell carrying a conjugative plasmid, which encodes genes necessary for pilus formation, DNA replication, and transfer. The conjugative plasmid plays a central role in initiating and executing the transfer of genetic material.The tra region of the conjugative plasmid encodes proteins responsible for...
Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes00:46

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...

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Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
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Published on: March 24, 2023

Conjugative plasmids in multi-resistant bacterial isolates from Indian soil.

M I Ansari1, E Grohmann, A Malik

  • 1Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.

Journal of Applied Microbiology
|February 21, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Wastewater-irrigated soil harbors bacteria with IncP plasmids, facilitating the spread of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance. These findings highlight the potential for disseminating genetic material in the environment.

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High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies
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High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies

Published on: January 10, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Molecular biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Wastewater irrigation is a common practice in agriculture, potentially introducing contaminants into soil ecosystems.
  • Heavy metals and antibiotics in wastewater can select for resistant bacteria.
  • Conjugative plasmids play a crucial role in the horizontal gene transfer of resistance traits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate heavy metal and antibiotic resistance in bacteria from wastewater-irrigated soil.
  • To determine the presence and types of conjugative plasmids in these resistant bacteria.
  • To assess the implications for the dissemination of genetic material.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and characterization of bacteria from soil samples.
  • Testing bacterial isolates for resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics.
  • PCR amplification and dot blot hybridization to detect specific plasmid sequences (IncP, IncN, IncW, IncQ, pMV158).

Main Results:

  • Forty bacterial isolates were obtained and characterized.
  • All isolates exhibited resistance to various heavy metals and antibiotics.
  • All isolates yielded PCR products for the IncP plasmid group, confirmed by hybridization with RP4 probes.
  • No other investigated plasmid types (IncN, IncW, IncQ, pMV158) were detected.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms the presence of conjugative/mobilizable IncP plasmids in all investigated bacterial isolates from wastewater-irrigated soil.
  • IncP plasmids are prevalent and likely responsible for the spread of multi-resistant bacteria in these environments.
  • The findings suggest a capacity for gene mobilization, with implications for the dissemination of recombinant DNA.