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Related Concept Videos

Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

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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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The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
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Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
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Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
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Bacterial and archaeal cells exhibit remarkable diversity in shape and structure, critical in their adaptability and functionality. Among bacteria, the most commonly observed shapes include cocci and bacilli. Cocci are spherical and may exist singly or in groupings such as pairs (diplococci), chains (streptococci), clusters (staphylococci), or tetrads. Bacilli, in contrast, are rod-shaped and can also occur as single cells, in pairs, or chains, depending on their environmental and genetic...
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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.
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Assembly and Tracking of Microbial Community Development within a Microwell Array Platform
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Conceptualizing microbe-plasmid communities as complex adaptive systems.

Shai Pilosof1

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, Israel.

Trends in Microbiology
|February 23, 2023
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Summary

Understanding microbe-plasmid interactions is key to microbial community dynamics. Agent-based modeling reveals how local processes shape plasmid evolution and community structure, advancing ecological understanding.

Keywords:
agent-based modelscommunity dynamicsecological networksmicrobial ecologymobile genetic elements

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Plasmids significantly influence microbial community diversity, structure, and function.
  • A mechanistic understanding of how microbe-plasmid interactions drive community dynamics is lacking.
  • Simultaneous processes at multiple organizational levels complicate the study of these interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a framework for understanding community structure and dynamics from local microbe-plasmid interactions.
  • To conceptualize microbe-plasmid communities as complex adaptive systems.
  • To quantify the relative importance of local processes in governing microbial community dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized agent-based evolutionary modeling.
  • Extended modeling with network analysis techniques.
  • Focused on quantifying local processes governing community dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated the utility of agent-based evolutionary modeling for studying microbe-plasmid systems.
  • Provided a method to quantify the impact of local interactions on community dynamics.
  • Highlighted the role of theoretical modeling in advancing plasmid ecology.

Conclusions:

  • Conceptualizing microbe-plasmid communities as complex adaptive systems offers a promising research approach.
  • Agent-based modeling and network analysis can elucidate the mechanisms of plasmid ecology and evolution.
  • Integration with empirical data is crucial for validating and advancing theoretical findings.