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Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
Published on: March 24, 2023
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Recombination and gene loss occur simultaneously during bacterial horizontal gene transfer
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America.
Plos One
|January 29, 2020
Summary
Bacteria often replace, not just add, genes during horizontal gene transfer. This study reveals a new model for gene replacement in prokaryotes, observed in Caulobacter crescentus.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Bacteria acquire new genes via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), but genome sizes remain stable.
- Observing HGT in natural settings is challenging due to its rarity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the mechanism of HGT using Caulobacter crescentus CB2A as a model.
- To develop a new model for gene acquisition during HGT.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic analysis of Caulobacter crescentus CB2A and NA1000 strains.
- Examination of genetic material insertions in the CB2A genome.
- Analysis of genomes from related bacterial and archaeal genera.
Main Results:
- Identified 114 insertions of genetic material from strain NA1000 into CB2A.
- Proposed a new model: HGT involves recombination at non-homologous regions flanked by homologous regions.
- Observed gene replacement, not just addition, as the outcome of HGT.
- Found similar HGT patterns in other bacterial and archaeal genera.
Conclusions:
- Prokaryotic HGT preferentially occurs at specific genomic locations, leading to gene replacement.
- Gene replacement is a common mechanism in prokaryotic HGT, maintaining genome size stability.
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