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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
Published on: March 10, 2017
An intriguing relationship between the cyclic diguanylate signaling system and horizontal gene transfer
Jonas S Madsen1, Ole Hylling1,2, Samuel Jacquiod1
1Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract:
The second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is ubiquitously used by bacteria to modulate and shift between different phenotypes including motility, biofilm formation and virulence. Here we show that c-di-GMP-associated genes are widespread on plasmids and that enzymes that synthesize or degrade c-di-GMP are preferentially encoded on transmissible plasmids. Additionally, expression of enzymes that synthesize c-di-GMP was found to increase both biofilm formation and, interestingly, conjugative plasmid transfer rates.
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