Horizontal DNA Transfer Mechanisms of Bacteria as Weapons of Intragenomic Conflict.

ABSTRACT: Horizontal DNA transfer (HDT) is a pervasive mechanism of diversification in many microbial species, but its primary evolutionary role remains controversial. Much recent research has emphasised the adaptive benefit of acquiring novel DNA, but here we argue instead that intragenomic conflict provides a coherent framework for understanding the evolutionary origins of HDT. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mathematical model of a clonally descended bacterial population undergoing HDT through transmission of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and genetic transformation. Including the known bias of transformation toward the acquisition of shorter alleles into the model suggested it could be an effective means of counteracting the spread of MGEs. Both constitutive and transient competence for

SUBMITTER: Croucher NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4774983 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature