Evolution of Bacterial Gene Transfer Agents.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial gene transfer agents (GTAs) are small virus-like particles that package DNA fragments and inject them into cells. They are encoded by gene clusters resembling defective prophages, with genes for capsid head and tail components. These gene clusters are usually assumed to be maintained by selection for the benefits of GTA-mediated recombination, but this has never been tested. We rigorously examined the potential benefits of GTA-mediated recombination, considering separately transmission of GTA-encoding genes and recombination of all chromosomal genes. In principle GTA genes could be directly maintained if GTA particles spread them to GTA^- cells often enough to compensate for the loss of GTA-producing cells. However, careful bookkeeping showed that losses inevitably exce

SUBMITTER: Redfield RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6209664 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature