Natural bacterial transformation involves the internalization and chromosomal integration of
DNA and has now been documented in∼ 80 species. Recent advances have established …

Studies show that gene acquisition through natural transformation has contributed
significantly to the adaptation and ecological diversification of several bacterial species …

Natural transformation is widely distributed among bacteria. Its variations, in terms of specific
mechanisms, may in part reflect responses to different selective pressures in different …

Natural genetic transformation is the active uptake of free DNA by bacterial cells and the
heritable incorporation of its genetic information. Since the famous discovery of …

Bacterial genomics is flourishing, as whole-genome sequencing has become affordable,
readily available and rapid. As a result, it has become clear how frequently horizontal gene …

Highlights•Natural transformation mediates the spread of antibiotic resistance
genes.•Natural transformation can aid gene transfer between unrelated taxa.•Natural …

Although Bacteria and Archaea reproduce by binary fission, exchange of genes among
lineages has shaped the diversity of their populations and the diversification of their …

Transformation is one mode of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria, wherein
extracellular naked DNA is taken up by cells that have developed genetic competence …

Living organisms are defined by the genes they possess. Control of expression of this gene
set, both temporally and in response to the environment, determines whether an organism …

Bacterial adaptation is accelerated by the acquisition of novel traits through horizontal gene
transfer, but the integration of these genes affects genome organization. We found that …