Microbial genes that are “novel”(no detectable homologs in other species) have become of
increasing interest as environmental sampling suggests that there are many more such …

▪ Abstract Comparative analysis of bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic genomes indicates
that a significant fraction of the genes in the prokaryotic genomes have been subject to …

There is growing evidence that horizontal gene transfer is a potent evolutionary force in
prokaryotes, although exactly how potent is not known. We have developed a statistical …

Bacteria influence eukaryotic biology as parasitic, commensal or beneficial symbionts. Aside
from these organismal interactions, bacteria have also been important sources of new …

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has a crucial role in microbial evolution, in shaping the
structure and function of microbial communities and in controlling a myriad of environmental …

In biological systems, evolutionary innovations can spread not only from parent to offspring
(ie vertical transmission), but also 'horizontally'between individuals, who may or may not be …

Plasmids can mediate horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance, virulence genes, and
other adaptive factors across bacterial populations. Here, we analyze genomic composition …

Background Laterally transferred genes have often been identified on the basis of
compositional features that distinguish them from ancestral genes in the genome. These …

Inspection of the genomes of bacterial pathogens indicates that their pathogenic potential
relies, at least in part, on the activity of different elements that have been acquired by …

▪ Abstract Virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria (adhesins, toxins, invasins, protein
secretion systems, iron uptake systems, and others) may be encoded by particular regions of …