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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
Published on: March 10, 2017
Mechanisms of gene flow in archaea
Alexander Wagner1, Rachel J Whitaker2,3, David J Krause4
1Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II - Microbiology, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Archaea are diverse, ecologically important, single-celled microorganisms. They have unique functions and features, such as methanogenesis and the composition of their cell envelope, although many characteristics are shared with the other domains of life, either through ancestry or through promiscuous horizontal gene transfer. The exchange of genetic material is a major driving force for genome evolution across the tree of life and has a role in archaeal speciation, adaptation and maintenance of diversity. In this Review, we discuss our current knowledge of archaeal mechanisms of DNA transfer and highlight the role of gene transfer in archaeal evolution.
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