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Horizontal Gene Transfer

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 Organisms

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.

Transduction

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...

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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...

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Updated: May 19, 2026

The Use of Chemostats in Microbial Systems Biology

The Use of Chemostats in Microbial Systems Biology

Published on: October 14, 2013

The chemostat with lateral gene transfer.

Patrick De Leenheer¹, Jack Dockery, Tomas Gedeon

¹Department of Mathematics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8105, USA. deleenhe@math.ufl.edu

Journal of Biological Dynamics

|August 14, 2012

Summary

Lateral gene transfer in chemostat models allows diverse genotypes to coexist. This explains the persistence of antibiotic-resistant strains in pathogen populations, even with similar growth rates and yields.

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Area of Science:

Microbial Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Mathematical Modeling

Background:

Chemostat models are fundamental for studying microbial population dynamics.
Lateral gene transfer (LGT) significantly impacts microbial evolution and adaptation.
Understanding the stability of microbial populations with LGT is crucial for predicting pathogen persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the standard chemostat model incorporating lateral gene transfer.
To determine conditions under which multiple genotypes can stably coexist.
To provide a theoretical explanation for the persistence of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Main Methods:

Mathematical modeling of chemostat dynamics.
Analysis of population stability under LGT.
Comparison of growth rate functions and genotype yields.

Main Results:

When genotype growth rates and yields are similar, a globally stable steady state is reached.
All genotypes coexist at this stable steady state.
The model demonstrates how LGT can maintain genetic diversity.

Conclusions:

The chemostat model with LGT supports the stable coexistence of diverse genotypes.
Similarities in growth rates and yields are key factors for stable coexistence.
This framework explains the sustained presence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.