Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies
Published on: January 10, 2019
New perspectives into bacterial DNA transfer to human cells
Matxalen Llosa1, Gunnar Schröder, Christoph Dehio
1Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria-UC, and IBBTEC-UC-CSIC-SODERCAN, Santander, Spain.
Abstract:
The type IV secretion system (T4SS) VirB/D4 of the facultative intracellular pathogen Bartonella henselae is known to translocate bacterial effector proteins into human cells. Two recent reports on DNA transfer into human cells have demonstrated the versatility of this bacterial secretion system for macromolecular substrate transfer. Moreover, these findings have opened the possibility for developing new tools for DNA delivery into specific human cell types. DNA can be introduced into these cells covalently attached to a site-specific integrase with potential target sequences in the human genome. This novel DNA delivery system is discussed in the context of existing methods for genetic modification of human cells.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Transformation
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...
Bacterial Transformation
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...
Mechanism of Conjugation
Transduction
Conjugation
Transformation

