Abstract
Gene Transfer Agents (GTAs) are similar to traditional viruses in many ways but, instead of prioritizing the spread of their own genes, they package and disseminate the entire genome of the bacterial host. Expression of the GTA genes is controlled by various host regulator proteins and release from the producer cell is achieved via lysis from within. Indiscriminate transfer of bacterial genes clearly has the potential to impact bacterial evolution, but there are large gaps in our knowledge of GTA biology.
Original language | English |
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Type | Nature Communications Behind the Paper |
Media of output | Blog |
Publisher | Springer |
Publication status | Published - 5 Feb 2019 |