Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to the Human Microbiota01:22

Introduction to the Human Microbiota

Microorganisms colonize various regions of the human body, including the mouth, nasal passages, throat, stomach, intestines, urogenital tract, and skin. The total number of microbial cells is estimated to range from 10¹³ to 10¹⁴—comparable to, or exceeding, the number of human somatic cells. This host–microbiome relationship has led to the conceptualization of humans as supraorganisms, wherein microbial communities perform vital roles in development, immunity, and disease...
Evolution of Microbial Genome01:08

Evolution of Microbial Genome

Microbial genome evolution is a highly dynamic process shaped by continual gene gain and loss across species and strains. This genomic flexibility allows microorganisms to adapt rapidly to environmental pressures and interactions with other organisms. Central to understanding this diversity is the distinction between the core and pan genomes.The core genome comprises the genes shared by all sampled strains of a species, representing essential functions needed for fundamental cellular processes.
Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract01:28

Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract

The human urogenital system, once thought to be sterile in healthy individuals, is now recognized as a complex microbial habitat. Advancements in molecular sequencing techniques have revealed that even in healthy adults, the kidneys and bladder harbor microbial populations similar to those found in the distal urethra, albeit in much lower abundance. These resident microorganisms, while generally innocuous, can become opportunistic pathogens under conditions that alter the urogenital...
Functions of the Gut Microbiota01:18

Functions of the Gut Microbiota

The gut microbiota includes trillions of microorganisms that colonize the human gastrointestinal tract, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi. This complex ecosystem plays a critical role in maintaining intestinal and systemic health. Most of these microbes inhabit the large intestine, establishing a relatively stable and diverse community that contributes to gut homeostasis through various metabolic, immunological, and protective mechanisms.Dominant bacterial phyla, such as...
Microbiota of the Large Intestine01:27

Microbiota of the Large Intestine

The large intestine hosts the most densely populated microbial ecosystem in the human body. This complex community primarily consists of anaerobic bacteria, with Bacillota (formerly Firmicutes) and Bacteroidota (formerly Bacteroidetes) as the predominant groups. The distribution of these microbes varies along different sections of the large intestine, influenced by local environmental factors such as oxygen availability and nutrient composition.The cecum, located at the beginning of the large...
Evolutionary Processes in Microbes01:26

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Investigating the mobility and host range of mobile genetic elements harbouring antimicrobial resistance genes in enterococci.

Microbiology (Reading, England)·2026
Same author

Population-based characterisation of child and adolescent oral bacterial microbiomes.

Microbiome·2026
Same author

Automated eDNA and eRNA profiling for biodiversity monitoring in marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Reference-free clustering as an epidemiological tool for <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> lineage typing.

Microbial genomics·2026
Same author

Association between the oral microbiome and clinical indicators of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Journal of oral microbiology·2026
Same author

From classification to confirmation: verifying taxonomic classifications by mapping metagenomic reads to reference genomes.

Microbial genomics·2026
Same journal

Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Sub-second fluctuations between top-down and bottom-up modes distinguish diverse human brain states.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Queen bees offload pesticide burden to eggs when social buffering is overwhelmed.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview
29:13

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

Human microbiome: a genetic bazaar for microbes?

Morgan G I Langille1, Conor J Meehan, Robert G Beiko

  • 1Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 4R2.

Current Biology : CB
|January 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Lateral gene transfer is highly active in human microbes, revealing a dynamic interplay within our internal microbial world. This suggests a complex, evolving relationship between humans and their resident microorganisms.

More Related Videos

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
11:22

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

Published on: October 15, 2019

Co-culture of Living Microbiome with Microengineered Human Intestinal Villi in a Gut-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Device
10:51

Co-culture of Living Microbiome with Microengineered Human Intestinal Villi in a Gut-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Device

Published on: August 30, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview
29:13

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
11:22

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

Published on: October 15, 2019

Co-culture of Living Microbiome with Microengineered Human Intestinal Villi in a Gut-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Device
10:51

Co-culture of Living Microbiome with Microengineered Human Intestinal Villi in a Gut-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Device

Published on: August 30, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Human Microbiome Research

Background:

  • The human body hosts a vast community of microorganisms, collectively known as the human microbiome.
  • Understanding the genetic exchange within these microbial communities is crucial for deciphering host-microbe interactions.
  • Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is a significant evolutionary mechanism, but its intensity in human-associated microbes is an area of active investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and intensity of lateral gene transfer among microbes residing in the human body.
  • To explore the implications of high LGT rates for the human microbiome's evolution and function.
  • To understand how LGT shapes the relationship between humans and their internal microbial world.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis of large-scale microbial genomic datasets from human samples.
  • Comparative genomics to identify signatures of LGT events.
  • Phylogenetic analyses to trace the origin and spread of transferred genes.

Main Results:

  • Evidence of exceptionally high rates of lateral gene transfer among diverse human-associated microbial species.
  • Identification of specific gene sets frequently exchanged, potentially conferring adaptive advantages.
  • Correlation between LGT intensity and microbial lifestyle or niche within the human body.

Conclusions:

  • The human microbiome is a highly dynamic ecosystem shaped by intense genetic exchange.
  • High LGT rates suggest a rapid adaptation potential for human-associated microbes.
  • This genetic plasticity underscores a complex and co-evolutionary relationship between humans and their microbiome.