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Related Concept Videos

Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

3.0K
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...
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Antibiotic Selection00:57

Antibiotic Selection

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Overview
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Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

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Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
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Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes00:46

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

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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...
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Conjugation01:19

Conjugation

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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...
2.5K
Mechanism of Conjugation01:19

Mechanism of Conjugation

1.1K
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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
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Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

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Replication of Staphylococcal Resistance Plasmids.

Stephen M Kwong1, Joshua P Ramsay2, Slade O Jensen3

  • 1School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|December 9, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat. Understanding how bacterial resistance plasmids replicate and persist is key to developing new strategies to combat this medical problem.

Keywords:
antisense RNAmultiresistance plasmidplasmid copy number controlplasmid replicationreplication initiation proteinstaphylococci

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens poses a significant medical challenge.
  • Antimicrobial resistance determinants in staphylococci are frequently found on mobile genetic elements like plasmids.
  • These plasmids can be horizontally transmitted, enabling rapid bacterial adaptation and widespread resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying plasmid replication and persistence in staphylococci.
  • To understand how plasmids ensure their stable inheritance during bacterial cell division.
  • To identify potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies against antimicrobial resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of plasmid-encoded genetic systems responsible for replication and stability.
  • Study of initiator proteins that recognize and process plasmid origins of replication.
  • Investigation of plasmid copy number control mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcal plasmids employ diverse protein families to initiate replication.
  • Distinct plasmid copy number control mechanisms are conserved within plasmid classes.
  • Initiator proteins play a dual role in origin recognition/processing and host replication protein recruitment.

Conclusions:

  • Detailed understanding of plasmid replication mechanisms is crucial for combating antimicrobial resistance.
  • Knowledge of plasmid persistence strategies may inform the development of novel interventions.
  • Targeting plasmid replication could offer a way to reverse or slow the spread of resistance.