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

Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic microbes like yeast. These small, circular DNA structures typically contain fewer than 30 genes, although some may exist linearly. Plasmids vary in their number within a cell, known as copy number. Single-copy plasmids are present in one copy per cell and multi-copy plasmids are present in multiple copies, reaching over 100 copies per cell.Plasmids usually replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA...
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...
Transposons01:24

Transposons

Transposons, or "jumping genes," are small mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that range from 700 to 40,000 base pairs in length. They are found in all organisms and can move within the same chromosome or transfer to different chromosomes. In some cases, transposons can also jump between different host DNA molecules, such as plasmids or viruses, contributing to genetic variability.Barbara McClintock first discovered these mobile genetic elements in the 1940s while studying maize genetics, and she...
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...
Overview of Transposition and Recombination02:13

Overview of Transposition and Recombination

Transposons make up a significant part of genomes of various organisms. Therefore, it is believed that transposition played a major evolutionary role in speciation by changing genome sizes and modifying gene expression patterns. For example, in bacteria, transposition can lead to conferring antibiotic resistance. Movement of transposable elements within the genetic pool of pathogenic bacteria can aid in transfer of antibiotic-resistant genetic elements. In eukaryotes, transposons can carry out...
Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes00:46

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Modelling the role of the microbiome in antimicrobial resistance across scales.

Nature microbiology·2026
Same author

Viral Simulation Reveals Overestimation Bias in Within-Host Phylodynamic Migration Rate Estimates Under Selection.

Molecular biology and evolution·2026
Same author

Evolution of parasite transmission dispersion.

Royal Society open science·2025
Same author

Kinship clustering within an ecologically diverse killer whale metapopulation.

Heredity·2025
Same author

The effect of combining antibiotics on resistance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

eLife·2024
Same author

The impact of treatment strategies on the epidemiological dynamics of plasmid-conferred antibiotic resistance.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies
05:18

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies

Published on: January 10, 2019

Fixation probability of mobile genetic elements such as plasmids.

Samuel J Tazzyman1, Sebastian Bonhoeffer

  • 1Theoretical Biology, Institute of Integrative Biology (INZ), ETH Zürich, CH 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.

Theoretical Population Biology
|October 2, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Mobile genetic elements like plasmids are evolutionarily significant. Horizontal transfer rate is as crucial as host fitness for gene fixation, potentially enabling even harmful genes to spread.

Keywords:
Antibiotic resistanceFixation probabilityHorizontal gene transferMobile genetic elementsPlasmids

More Related Videos

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach
12:32

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach

Published on: December 14, 2019

Plasmid Stability Analysis with Open-Source Droplet Microfluidics
07:43

Plasmid Stability Analysis with Open-Source Droplet Microfluidics

Published on: December 27, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies
05:18

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies

Published on: January 10, 2019

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach
12:32

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach

Published on: December 14, 2019

Plasmid Stability Analysis with Open-Source Droplet Microfluidics
07:43

Plasmid Stability Analysis with Open-Source Droplet Microfluidics

Published on: December 27, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Microbial genetics
  • Population genetics

Background:

  • Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), particularly plasmids, are recognized for their evolutionary importance.
  • Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is generally presumed to confer a fitness advantage for genes.
  • Understanding the dynamics of MGEs is critical, especially in microbial populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relative importance of horizontal transfer versus host fitness for gene fixation.
  • To model the probability of fixation for genes with varying rates of horizontal transfer and host fitness benefits.
  • To explore the conditions under which deleterious genes can become fixed in a population.

Main Methods:

  • Employed simple mathematical modeling approaches to simulate gene dynamics.
  • Derived an approximate formula for fixation probability: 2(s+β).
  • Analyzed the impact of horizontal transfer rate (β) and vertical fitness increase (s) on fixation.

Main Results:

  • Horizontal transferability is as critical for gene fixation as the fitness benefit (s) conferred to the host.
  • The fixation probability is approximately 2(s+β), where β is the rate of rare horizontal transfer.
  • Even deleterious genes can achieve fixation due to high rates of horizontal transfer, independent of hitchhiking.

Conclusions:

  • Horizontal transfer is a potent evolutionary force, capable of driving the fixation of genes regardless of their direct benefit.
  • The study underscores the significant role of mobile genetic elements in shaping microbial evolution.
  • Findings support the ubiquity and evolutionary impact of mobile genetic elements, especially in microorganisms.