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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 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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When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.
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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...
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Monitoring Intraspecies Competition in a Bacterial Cell Population by Cocultivation of Fluorescently Labelled Strains
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Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics.

Fernando Rossine1,2,3, Carlos Sanchez4, Daniel Eaton4

  • 1Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary conflicts between biological levels are key. This study experimentally measures within-cell plasmid competition, revealing that less active plasmids gain an advantage, driving gene loss and evolution.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Microbial Genetics
  • Molecular Evolution

Background:

  • Conflicts between biological organization levels are fundamental to evolutionary processes.
  • Plasmids, as extrachromosomal genetic elements, experience selective pressures from hosts and competition for intracellular resources.
  • Experimental evidence for within-cell selection dynamics influencing plasmid evolution has been limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally measure the within-cell fitness and selective dynamics of competing plasmids.
  • To investigate the factors driving plasmid evolution at the within-cell level.
  • To understand the interplay between plasmid transcription, translation, and fixation.

Main Methods:

  • Creation of synthetic plasmid dimers for controlled, balanced within-cell competition in *Escherichia coli*.
  • Experimental probing of plasmid drift and selective dynamics.
  • Characterization of plasmid coexistence and fixation based on transcriptional activity and replication control.

Main Results:

  • Incompatible plasmids demonstrated extended coexistence due to methylation-based replication control.
  • Plasmids with lower transcriptional activity exhibited a within-cell advantage, leading to preferential fixation and favoring gene loss.
  • Plasmid fixation dynamics were significantly influenced by the complex interaction between plasmid transcription and translation.

Conclusions:

  • Within-cell competition is a significant driver of plasmid evolution, alongside host-level selection.
  • Plasmid evolution can favor reduced gene expression and gene loss under specific competitive conditions.
  • The study provides crucial experimental validation for theoretical models of within-cell selection in extrachromosomal elements.