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Bacterial genetics is the study of the mechanisms of heritable information in bacteria, their chromosomes, plasmids, transposons and phages. Techniques that have enabled this discipline are culture in defined media, replica plating, mutagenesis, transformation, conjugation and transduction.
Plasmid coupling creates heterogeneity in copy number and, therefore, expression across a microbial population. We demonstrate that plasmid-encoded fitness differences between individuals can then lead to adaptation of the population to specific environments and can promote both genetic stability and memory of past environmental exposures.
Stress exposure shapes survival mechanisms in bacteria. Here, the authors show that individual pneumococcal cells react to stress by competence self-induction, which may propagate to non-competent cells, promoting multilevel heterogeneity and favouring survival.
An environmental bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, a fatal infection. A study from NE Thailand identifies that dominant lineages carry specific gene sets enhancing environmental persistence.
Mathematical modelling of 15 years of data from South Africa reveals the spread and vaccine-driven changes in fitness and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Authors perform a whole genome sequencing-based analysis of an international MRSA CC398 population, revealing the evolutionary trajectory and epidemiological trend considering host, temporal, geographical and molecular factors as well as lineage-associated mobile genetic elements.
This study on a multi-drug resistant infection case shows that real-time genomics can detect low-abundance plasmid-encoded resistance missed by established diagnostics.
Here the authors show that a seekRNA derived from the non-coding region of IS1111 and IS family insertion sequences is required for insertion sequence movement from and to a specific target site. The seekRNA is bound to the transposase, recognises the target and is programmable.
Lauren Davey describes the importance of the gut commensal bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila and her work in developing methods to explore its role in gut health.
Plasmid coupling creates heterogeneity in copy number and, therefore, expression across a microbial population. We demonstrate that plasmid-encoded fitness differences between individuals can then lead to adaptation of the population to specific environments and can promote both genetic stability and memory of past environmental exposures.
This month’s Genome Watch highlights the use of genetic barcoding towards a better understanding of plant–microorganism interactions and colonization dynamics.
We provide evidence that intensive industrialization over the past century, particularly of the livestock trade, has facilitated host jumps and accumulation of antimicrobial resistance genes in Salmonella enterica, leading to the global transmission of this pathogen from Europe and the USA during the height of pork production.
Multidisciplinary culture-dependent and -independent techniques elucidate the unique microbial nitrogen cycle in nutrient-poor coastal Antarctica soils and reveal the contribution of novel key microbes to their nitrogen budget.