Escherichia coli is one of the most-studied microorganisms worldwide but its characteristics
are continually changing. Extraintestinal E. coli infections, such as urinary tract infections …

Plasmids are important “vehicles” for the communication of genetic information between
bacteria. The exchange of plasmids transmits pathogenically and environmentally relevant …

Bacteria carry extrachromosomal, self-replicating genetic elements called plasmids. A
plasmid is defined as a doublestranded, circular DNA molecule capable of autonomous …

Objectives IncF plasmids are frequently encountered in clinical enterobacterial strains
associated with the dissemination of relevant antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes …

Horizontal gene transfer, mediated by conjugative plasmids, is a major driver of the global
rise of antibiotic resistance. However, the relative contributions of factors that underlie the …

A plasmid is defined as a double stranded, circular DNA molecule capable of autonomous
replication. By definition, plasmids do not carry genes essential for the growth of host cells …

Bacterial conjugation in Gram-negative bacteria is triggered by a signal that connects the
relaxosome to the coupling protein (T4CP) and transferosome, a type IV secretion system …

The F sex factor of Escherichia coli is a paradigm for bacterial conjugation and its transfer
(tra) region represents a subset of the type IV secretion system (T4SS) family. The F tra …

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen, especially in intensive care units,
and multidrug-resistant isolates have increasingly been reported during the last decade …

Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) mediate horizontal gene transfer, thus contributing to
genome plasticity, evolution of infectious pathogens, and dissemination of antibiotic …