Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a substantial threat to human health. The widespread
prevalence of AMR is, in part, due to the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes …

Mobile genetic elements are key to the evolution of bacteria and traits that affect host and
ecosystem health. Here, we use a framework of a hierarchical and modular system that …

Phages and plasmids are regarded as distinct types of mobile genetic elements that drive
bacterial evolution by horizontal gene transfer. However, the distinction between both types …

Plasmids can be transferred between cells by conjugation, thereby driving bacterial
evolution by horizontal gene transfer. Yet, we ignore the molecular mechanisms of transfer …

Horizontal gene transfer is an important evolutionary force, facilitating bacterial diversity. It is
thought to be pervasive in host-associated microbiomes, where bacterial densities are high …

Highlights•Collaboration and conflict between MGEs can promote and inhibit HGT•Many
genome defences are MGE-encoded, serving MGE interests and changing frequently•The …

Conjugation is a major mechanism of horizontal gene transfer promoting the spread of
antibiotic resistance among human pathogens. It involves establishing a junction between a …

Background Klebsiella pneumoniae is a notorious clinical pathogen and frequently carries
various plasmids, which are the main carriers of antimicrobial resistance and virulence …

Bacterial pathogens carrying multidrug resistance (MDR) plasmids are a major threat to
human health. The acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in plasmids is often …

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to human health, caused in part by pathogens
accumulating antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through horizontal gene transfer. New …