The Impact of Mercury Selection and Conjugative Genetic Elements on Community Structure and Resistance Gene Transfer.

ABSTRACT: Carriage of resistance genes can underpin bacterial survival, and by spreading these genes between species, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) can potentially protect diversity within microbial communities. The spread of MGEs could be affected by environmental factors such as selection for resistance, and biological factors such as plasmid host range, with consequences for individual species and for community structure. Here we cultured a focal bacterial strain, Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25, embedded within a soil microbial community, with and without mercury selection, and with and without mercury resistance plasmids (pQBR57 or pQBR103), to investigate the effects of selection and resistance gene introduction on (1) the focal species; (2) the community as a whole; (3) the spread of th

SUBMITTER: Hall JPJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7419628 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature