The capacity to release genetic material into the extracellular medium has been reported in
cultures of numerous species of bacteria, archaea, and fungi, and also in the context of …

This article reviews the roles that laterally transferred genes (LTG) play in the virulence of
bacterial pathogens. The features of LTG that allow them to be recognized in bacterial …

Acinetobacter baumannii is a dangerous nosocomial pathogen, especially due to its ability
to rapidly acquire new genetic traits, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARG). In A …

Competence is a physiological state that enables Bacillus subtilis 168 to take up and
internalize extracellular DNA. In practice, only a small subpopulation of B. subtilis 168 cells …

Natural transformation enables bacteria to acquire DNA from the environment and
contributes to genetic diversity, DNA repair, and nutritional requirements. DNA processing …

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is an important factor in bacterial evolution that can act
across species boundaries. Yet, we know little about rate and genomic targets of cross …

Advancements in DNA sequencing technologies within the last decade have stimulated an
unprecedented interest in the human microbiome, largely due the broad diversity of human …

The six Veillonella species found in the human oral cavity are among the most abundant
members of the oral flora, occurring in both supra-and subgingival dental plaque as well as …

Transformation is the process of import and inheritable integration of DNA from the
environment. As such, it is believed to be a major driving force for evolution. Competence for …

Naturally transformable bacteria recombine internalized ssDNA with a homologous resident
duplex (chromosomal transformation) or complementary internalized ssDNAs (plasmid or …