Costs and benefits of natural transformation in Acinetobacter baylyi.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Natural transformation enables acquisition of adaptive traits and drives genome evolution in prokaryotes. Yet, the selective forces responsible for the evolution and maintenance of natural transformation remain elusive since taken-up DNA has also been hypothesized to provide benefits such as nutrients or templates for DNA repair to individual cells.

Results

We investigated the immediate effects of DNA uptake and recombination on the naturally competent bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi in both benign and genotoxic conditions. In head-to-head competition experiments between DNA uptake-proficient and -deficient strains, we observed a fitness benefit of DNA uptake independent of UV stress. This benefit was found with both homologous and heterologous DNA and was independ

SUBMITTER: Hulter N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5312590 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature