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Related Concept Videos

Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

38
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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Mechanism of Conjugation01:19

Mechanism of Conjugation

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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...
41
Conjugation01:19

Conjugation

36
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...
36
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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Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria01:29

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

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Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
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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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Plasmids pick a bacterial partner before committing to conjugation.

Gad Frankel1, Sophia David2, Wen Wen Low1

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.

Nucleic Acids Research
|August 18, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Bacterial conjugation involves plasmid transfer from donor to recipient bacteria. New research reveals the TraN protein on donor cells acts as a sensor, selecting compatible recipient bacteria before DNA transfer occurs.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Bacterial conjugation is a key mechanism for horizontal gene transfer, historically viewed as promiscuous.
  • Plasmid transfer is a unidirectional, contact-dependent process between bacterial cells.
  • The host range of plasmids was thought to be determined solely by the recipient bacterium.

Conclusions:

  • The TraN sensor provides F-like plasmids with a pre-transfer host selection mechanism, akin to bacteriophages.
  • This host selection capability is crucial for plasmid survival and dissemination within polymicrobial communities.
  • Understanding TraN function offers new insights into the evolution and regulation of bacterial conjugation.