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Related Concept Videos

Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

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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Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
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Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

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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Transformation

Microbial communities are dynamic environments where cell lysis releases free DNA into the surroundings. Other cells can take up this extracellular DNA through a process known as transformation.When a cell incorporates this foreign DNA into its genome, resulting in genetic modification, the process is known as transformation. Cells capable of this process are termed competent. Competence can be natural, as observed in certain bacteria and archaea, or artificially induced in the...
Microbe-Plant Interactions01:09

Microbe-Plant Interactions

Microbe-plant interactions represent a dynamic spectrum of associations shaped by intricate chemical signaling. These interactions can be neutral, beneficial, or detrimental, and profoundly influence plant physiology, growth, and ecosystem function. The plant microbiome, comprising bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and viruses, plays a pivotal role in mediating these effects through surface colonization, internal colonization, or systemic symbiosis.Mutualistic associations, particularly with...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach
12:32

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach

Published on: December 14, 2019

Invasive plasmids as ecosystem engineers-from mechanism to application.

Solomon Garland1, Victoria T Orr2, James P J Hall2

  • 1School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, U.K.

Essays in Biochemistry
|June 12, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mobile genetic elements like conjugative plasmids drive bacterial innovation by spreading through communities. Understanding plasmid invasion dynamics is key for bacterial adaptation and engineering microbial communities.

Keywords:
Plasmidsbioaugmentationcommunityhorizontal gene transfermicrobiome

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Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach
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Published on: December 14, 2019

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
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Published on: March 24, 2023

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Horizontal gene transfer via mobile genetic elements, particularly conjugative plasmids, is a significant factor in bacterial evolution.
  • The spread of plasmids within bacterial communities is more complex than within single strains, influenced by community dynamics and interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of plasmid invasion into microbial communities.
  • To discuss how community complexity affects plasmid spread.
  • To explore applications of this understanding for engineering microbial communities.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of plasmid dynamics in bacterial communities.
  • Analysis of factors influencing plasmid invasion and spread.
  • Discussion of theoretical and applied implications.

Main Results:

  • Plasmids can invade not only bacterial lineages but entire communities due to their broad host ranges.
  • Community complexity presents both constraints and facilitators for plasmid spread.
  • Strain and community-level selection interact to shape plasmid dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanistic understanding of plasmid-community interactions is crucial for predicting bacterial adaptation.
  • Harnessing these dynamics offers potential for functional engineering of microbial communities.