Evolutionary changes in organismal traits may occur either gradually or suddenly. However,
until recently, there has been little direct information about how phenotypic changes are …

Our concept of a stable genome is evolving to one in which genomes are plastic and
responsive to environmental changes. Growing evidence shows that a variety of …

Pathogenic Escherichia coli cause over 160 million cases of dysentery and one million
deaths per year, whereas non‐pathogenic E. coli constitute part of the normal intestinal flora …

The Escherichia coli species represents one of the best-studied model organisms, but also
encompasses a variety of commensal and pathogenic strains that diversify by high rates of …

An ad hoc committee for the re-evaluation of the species definition in bacteriology met in
Gent, Belgium, in February 2002. The committee made various recommendations regarding …

Accumulating prokaryotic gene and genome sequences reveal that the exchange of genetic
information through both homology-dependent recombination and horizontal (lateral) gene …

Background Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) played an important role in shaping microbial
genomes. In addition to genes under sporadic selection, HGT also affects housekeeping …

Genetic exchange plays a defining role in the evolution of many bacteria. The recent
accumulation of nucleotide sequence data from multiple members of diverse bacterial …

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are endowed with several attributes that can be
beneficial for host plants. They opened myriad doors toward green technology approach to …

The evolutionary significance of stress-induced mutagenesis was evaluated by studying
mutagenesis in aging colonies (MAC) of Escherichia coli natural isolates. A large fraction of …