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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...
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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

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

Replacing and additive horizontal gene transfer in Streptococcus.

Sang Chul Choi1, Matthew D Rasmussen, Melissa J Hubisz

  • 1Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University.

Molecular Biology and Evolution
|May 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) drives bacterial evolution through gene replacement and addition. Streptococcus pyogenes shows asymmetric gene flow to S. dysgalactiae, influencing virulence via additive HGT.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial genomics
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Bacterial pathogenesis

Background:

  • Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) significantly impacts bacterial evolution.
  • Distinguishing between replacing HGT (gene substitution) and additive HGT (gene addition) is crucial.
  • Streptococcus pyogenes (SPY) is a key human pathogen with related species S. dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDE) and S. dysgalactiae subspecies dysgalactiae (SDD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To differentiate and quantify replacing and additive HGT in SPY, SDE, and SDD.
  • To investigate gene flow patterns and asymmetry between these closely related bacterial lineages.
  • To explore the relationship between HGT, virulence, and evolutionary selection in pathogenic bacteria.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized distinct phylogenetic signatures of replacing and additive HGT.
  • Applied advanced statistical models and computational methods for genome-wide analysis.
  • Examined gene flow dynamics within and between SPY, SDE, and SDD clades.

Main Results:

  • Abundant gene flow of both replacing and additive types observed within SPY and SDE clades.
  • Reduced gene exchange detected between SPY and SDD.
  • Strong asymmetry in SPY-to-SDE gene flow, particularly for replacing HGT, suggesting homologous recombination.
  • Additive HGT, not replacing HGT, correlated with virulence genes and showed evidence of positive selection.
  • Genes involved in transposition and DNA integration were enriched in additive HGT.

Conclusions:

  • HGT plays a complex role in shaping pathogenic bacterial genomes.
  • Asymmetric gene flow and the distinct mechanisms of replacing and additive HGT contribute to bacterial evolution and virulence.
  • Understanding HGT dynamics is critical for addressing the evolution of bacterial pathogens like Streptococcus species.