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Conjugation

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...

Mechanism of Conjugation

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli

Published on: March 24, 2023

Identifying Conjugative Plasmids and Integrative Conjugative Elements with CONJscan.

Jean Cury^1,2, Sophie S Abby³, Olivia Doppelt-Azeroual^4,5

¹Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|October 5, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

We developed CONJscan, a computational tool to identify conjugative systems in bacterial genomes. This method also helps delimit integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) within chromosomes, aiding bacterial genomics research.

Keywords:

Comparative genomics Conjugation Genomic islands Integrase Integrative conjugative element MacSyFinder Plasmid Protein profiles

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Area of Science:

Genomics
Bioinformatics
Microbiology

Background:

Conjugative systems are crucial for horizontal gene transfer in bacteria.
Identifying these systems, especially integrative conjugative elements (ICEs), is vital for understanding bacterial genome evolution and adaptation.
Existing methods may lack the specificity or flexibility to comprehensively identify and delimit these mobile genetic elements.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a computational method for identifying conjugative systems in plasmids and chromosomes.
To introduce a complementary approach for delimiting integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) within bacterial chromosomes.
To provide accessible tools for researchers studying bacterial mobile genetic elements.

Main Methods:

Utilized the CONJscan module of MacSy-Finder, employing hidden Markov model profiles to identify protein components of conjugative systems.
Validated system composition and genetic organization against known conjugative system models.
Developed a script integrating CONJscan results with comparative genomics for ICE delimitation and visualization.

Main Results:

CONJscan accurately identifies conjugative systems based on protein components and their organization.
The developed method successfully delimits ICEs within chromosomes, providing visual representations of their locations.
The computational approach is available as an online Galaxy workflow and a local standalone software.

Conclusions:

CONJscan offers a robust computational method for identifying conjugative systems in bacterial genomes.
The integrated approach facilitates the precise delimitation of ICEs, enhancing genomic analysis.
These tools collectively advance the study of mobile genetic elements in bacteria.