The repertoire of ICE in prokaryotes underscores the unity, diversity and ubiquity of conjugation
2011
A Global Overview of Bacterial Sexuality
Sample size: 3500
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Mark Achtman
Primary Institution: Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Hypothesis
What are the genetic elements responsible for conjugation in bacteria?
Conclusion
Conjugation is a common mechanism for gene transfer among bacteria and possibly archaea.
Supporting Evidence
- ICEs were found to be twice as frequent as conjugative plasmids.
- ICEs were present in over 50% of genomes from bacteroidetes.
- Conjugation can blur phylogenetic patterns among bacteria.
Takeaway
Bacteria can share genes with each other through a process called conjugation, which is like passing notes in class. This helps them adapt and survive better.
Methodology
The study scanned the genomes of 1,207 chromosomes and 2,282 plasmids to identify conjugation proteins.
Limitations
The study may not have identified all types of conjugation proteins due to limitations in the bioinformatic pipeline.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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