Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
07:40
Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations
Published on: October 29, 2016
11.7K
Migration and horizontal gene transfer divide microbial genomes into multiple niches
Rene Niehus1,2, Sara Mitri3, Alexander G Fletcher4,5
1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
Nature Communications
|November 24, 2015
Summary
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) significantly impacts microbial evolution and ecology. Our model shows that migration dramatically increases HGT rates, driving rapid adaptation and genomic diversity in microbes.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Evolution
- Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics
- Genetics
Background:
- Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a key driver of microbial evolution, facilitating the spread of genetic material across diverse communities.
- The precise mechanisms and ecological impact of HGT remain incompletely understood.
- Existing models suggest asexual reproduction limits the effects of HGT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how horizontal gene transfer influences microbial evolution and ecology.
- To develop an eco-evolutionary model that incorporates HGT and migration.
- To understand the conditions under which HGT becomes a dominant evolutionary force.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel eco-evolutionary model.
- Simulation of microbial populations with and without migration.
- Analysis of gene transfer rates and their correlation with natural selection.
Main Results:
- Horizontal gene transfer, even at low frequencies, can profoundly alter microbial evolution and ecology.
- The inclusion of migration dramatically increases the rates and impact of HGT.
- Genetic loci under positive natural selection are most frequently transferred.
- Ecologically significant genes rapidly spread through microbial communities.
- Microbial genomes evolve diverse ecologies, challenging traditional species concepts.
Conclusions:
- Migration is a critical factor amplifying the evolutionary and ecological consequences of horizontal gene transfer.
- HGT, especially when coupled with migration, enables rapid adaptation and the emergence of novel microbial ecologies.
- The study redefines ecological niches as being occupied by genes rather than species, highlighting the fluid nature of microbial genomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Evolution of Microbial Genome
45
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.
45
01:26Evolutionary Processes in Microbes
83
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...
83
01:27Horizontal Gene Transfer
3.3K
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:...
3.3K
02:18Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
31.8K
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.
31.8K
02:18Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
6.8K
6.8K
03:21Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
9.4K
While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
9.4K