Plasmids have a major role in the development of disease caused by enteric bacterial
pathogens. Virulence plasmids are usually large (> 40 kb) low copy elements and encode …

The F plasmid or F-factor is a large, 100-kbp, circular conjugative plasmid of Escherichia coli
and was originally described as a vector for horizontal gene transfer and gene …

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are primary facilitators in the global spread of antibiotic
resistance. Here, we present novel ecological and evolutionary perspectives to understand …

Lake Chaohu, one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China, has been suffering from
severe cyanobacterial blooms in the summer for many years. Cyanophages, the viruses that …

The segregation of newly replicated chromosomes in bacterial cells is a highly coordinated
spatiotemporal process. In the majority of bacterial species, a tripartite ParAB-parS system …

Bacterial conjugation is the main horizontal gene transfer route responsible for the spread of
antibiotic resistance, virulence and toxin genes. During conjugation, DNA is transferred from …

SMC complexes, loaded at ParB-parS sites, are key mediators of chromosome organization
in bacteria. ParA/Soj proteins interact with ParB/Spo0J in a pathway involving adenosine …

Partitioning the replicated genetic material is a crucial process in the cell cycle program of
any life form. In bacteria, many plasmids utilize cytoskeletal proteins that include ParM and …

The efficient segregation of replicated genetic material is an essential step for cell division.
Bacterial cells use several evolutionarily-distinct genome segregation systems, the most …

Edwardsiella piscicida is a pathogenic bacterium responsible for significant losses in
important wild and cultured fish species. E. piscicida strain MS-18-199 recovered from a …