Antibiotics are powerful drugs used in the treatment of bacterial infections. The inappropriate
use of these medicines has driven the dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AR) in most …

Since the first genome-scale comparisons, it has been evident that the genomes of many
species are unbound by strict vertical descent: Large differences in gene content can occur …

Plasmid persistence in bacterial populations is strongly influenced by the fitness effects
associated with plasmid carriage. However, plasmid fitness effects in wild-type bacterial …

Plasmids play an important role in bacterial genome evolution by transferring genes
between lineages. Fitness costs associated with plasmid carriage are expected to be a …

The'plasmid paradox'arises because, although plasmids are common features of bacterial
genomes, theoretically they should not exist: rates of conjugation were believed insufficient …

Plasmid acquisition is an important mechanism of rapid adaptation and niche expansion in
prokaryotes. Positive selection for plasmid-coded functions is a major driver of plasmid …

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

The spread of genes encoding antibiotic resistance is often mediated by horizontal gene
transfer (HGT). Many of these genes are associated with transposons, a type of mobile …

Cooperation exists across all scales of biological organization, from genetic elements to
complex human societies. Bacteria cooperate by secreting molecules that benefit all …

Antibiotic resistance encoded on plasmids is a pressing global health problem. Predicting
which plasmids spread in the long term remains very challenging, even though some key …