Enrichment of horizontally transferred gene clusters in bacterial extracellular vesicles via non lytic mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial extracellular vesicles are emerging as key mediators of horizontal gene transfer, enhancing microbial adaptability. A critical factor determining the effectiveness of horizontal gene transfer is the fraction of vesicles containing specific functional genes. However, the proportion of containing specific DNA fragments has not been adequately determined, which hinders the understanding of the conditions and mechanisms that facilitate the incorporation of specific genes into the vesicles and possible evolutionary roles of vesicle-derived DNA. Here, we demonstrate that enrichment of horizontally transferred genes into bacterial extracellular vesicles is driven by cellular processes by profiling the DNA content of hundreds of individual vesicles using a microdroplet-based sequencing t

SUBMITTER: Takano S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12477599 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature