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SMART FLOTSAM AND JETSAM in a sea of protoplasm. "Mobile Genetic Elements, "MGEs such as viruses, plasmids, membrane vesicles, gene transfer agents (GTAs), transposons and transpovirons, which collectively represent the mobilome." Diverse, potent and in motion. https://lnkd.in/eixwewC View in LinkedIn

"THE MOBILOME is the total of all mobile genetic elements in a genome. Elements that can move within the genome (transposable elements) are the major constituents of the mobilome in eukaryotes. In prokaryotes, however, mobile genetic elements that can move between genomes, like prophages and plasmids, are also an important part of the mobilome." https://lnkd.in/ecCtYNF View in LinkedIn

INSERTING FOREIGN DNA. "Plasmids can replicate inside a host and then move to another cell via horizontal genetic transfer (HGT), a term denoting various mechanism of incorporation of exogenous genetic material." This occurs widely and frequently in fast-replicating bacteria. https://lnkd.in/e8wKCHY View in LinkedIn

THE RAW ENGINE. "Plasmids drive genomic diversity in bacteria via horizontal gene transfer." Genomic diversity and attendant functional diversity is the raw material that evolutionary pressures act upon. https://lnkd.in/e5QhDst View in LinkedIn

MOBILE GENE POOL. " Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major process in the evolution of bacteria. The uptake of ready-made genes or operons from the ‘mobile gene pool’ facilitates rapid adaptation to novel environments, without the reliance upon rare, beneficial mutations" "arising spontaneously in the population." https://lnkd.in/enxCUw2 View in LinkedIn

INNOVATION DRIVERS. "Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that are collectively referred to as the “mobilome” are key players in the genome evolution of prokaryotes and eukaryotes and are considered “genetic engineers” of biological innovation." https://lnkd.in/ejST9YZ View in LinkedIn

HANDLING FOREIGN DNA. " Because of the universality of the genetic code, the polymerases of one organism can accurately transcribe a gene from another organism. For example, different species of bacteria obtain antibiotic resistance genes by exchanging small chromosomes called plasmids." http://www.dnaftb.org/34/ View in LinkedIn

TWO PLASMID TYPES. "Classically, plasmids can be placed into two distinct categories, based on their ability to transfer themselves from one individual to another: the conjugative plasmids, which carry the genes enabling the transfer themselves, and mobilizable plasmids, which require other means, such as genes located on other plasmids." https://lnkd.in/exyreqd View in LinkedIn

SOME SPECIFICITY. "Plasmids are known to be able to move from one bacterial strain to another. However, plasmids cannot move to and replicate in all strains." https://lnkd.in/e7i6Qm3 View in LinkedIn

PLASMID ADDICTION SYSTEMS (PAS). In biotechnology, "Plasmids are frequently used to introduce the formation of additional proteins or even for the establishment of complete metabolic pathways...(PAS) preventing the survival of plasmid‐free cells due to selective killing." https://lnkd.in/eNgPKMn View in LinkedIn