Variability of plasmid fitness effects contributes to plasmid persistence in bacterial communities

The variability of plasmid fitness effects on wild-type bacterial hosts have been largely unknown until this study, which shows that plasmid persistence increases with bacterial diversity and becomes less dependent on conjugation. This could explain why plasmids remain so common in nature.

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aida Alonso-del Valle, Ricardo León-Sampedro, Jerónimo Rodríguez-Beltrán, Javier DelaFuente, Marta Hernández-García, Patricia Ruiz-Garbajosa, Rafael Cantón, Rafael Peña-Miller, Alvaro San Millán
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2021-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22849-y
Description
Summary:The variability of plasmid fitness effects on wild-type bacterial hosts have been largely unknown until this study, which shows that plasmid persistence increases with bacterial diversity and becomes less dependent on conjugation. This could explain why plasmids remain so common in nature.
ISSN:2041-1723