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Related Concept Videos

Horizontal Gene Transfer01:27

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a process where genetic material moves between organisms within the same generation, unlike vertical gene transfer, which occurs from parent to offspring. HGT plays a crucial role in microbial evolution, adaptation, and survival, particularly in shared environments like the human gut.Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, prophages, integrons, insertion sequences, and transposons facilitate this process. HGT occurs through three primary mechanisms:...
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms

Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms

Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
Transduction01:16

Transduction

Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome are...
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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
06:56

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli

Published on: March 24, 2023

Direct visualization of horizontal gene transfer.

Ana Babic1, Ariel B Lindner, Marin Vulic

  • 1INSERM U571, Paris F-75015, France.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 15, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacterial conjugation, a method for gene transfer, was visualized in real-time using SeqA-YFP in Escherichia coli. This process, mediated by the F pilus, allows DNA integration or degradation, with acquired DNA sometimes splitting during cell division.

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Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
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Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus

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Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

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Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
10:39

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: March 10, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Bacterial conjugation is a key mechanism for horizontal gene transfer.
  • This process facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors, and metabolic adaptations.
  • Understanding conjugation dynamics at the single-cell level is crucial for controlling bacterial evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To visualize bacterial conjugation in real-time within single Escherichia coli cells.
  • To investigate the fate of transferred DNA, including integration and degradation.
  • To track the inheritance and segregation of acquired genetic material through cell divisions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a fluorescent protein fusion, SeqA-YFP, for real-time visualization of conjugation.
  • Employed single-cell observation techniques in Escherichia coli.
  • Monitored DNA transfer mediated by the F pilus and subsequent DNA fate.

Main Results:

  • The F pilus facilitates DNA transfer over significant cell-to-cell distances.
  • Integrated transferred DNA occurred in up to 96% of recipient cells; degradation by RecBCD helicase/nuclease occurred in others.
  • Acquired integrated DNA was observed to split and segregate with different chromosomes during replication, with approximately one crossover per cell generation.

Conclusions:

  • Real-time single-cell visualization provides novel insights into bacterial conjugation dynamics.
  • Bacterial conjugation is a highly dynamic process involving efficient DNA transfer, integration, or degradation.
  • The observed DNA splitting and segregation during replication contribute to genetic diversity within bacterial populations.