Sampling the mobile gene pool: innovation via horizontal gene transfer in bacteria

In biological systems, evolutionary innovations can spread not only from parent to offspring (i.e. vertical transmission), but also ‘horizontally’ between individuals, who may or may not be related. Nowhere is this more apparent than in bacteria, where novel ecological traits can spread rapidly with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences 2017-12, Vol.372 (1735), p.20160424-20160424
Main Authors: Hall, James P. J., Brockhurst, Michael A., Harrison, Ellie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accessory Genome
Bacteria
Bacteria - genetics
Biological Evolution
Disease transmission
Ecological conditions
Evolution
Gene pool
Gene transfer
Gene Transfer, Horizontal
Horizontal Gene Transfer
Innovations
Lateral Gene Transfer
Offspring
Pan-Genome
Review
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Summary:In biological systems, evolutionary innovations can spread not only from parent to offspring (i.e. vertical transmission), but also ‘horizontally’ between individuals, who may or may not be related. Nowhere is this more apparent than in bacteria, where novel ecological traits can spread rapidly within and between species through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). This important evolutionary process is predominantly a by-product of the infectious spread of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). We will discuss the ecological conditions that favour the spread of traits by HGT, the evolutionary and social consequences of sharing traits, and how HGT is shaped by inherent conflicts between bacteria and MGEs. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Process and pattern in innovations from cells to societies’.
ISSN:0962-8436
1471-2970
DOI:10.1098/rstb.2016.0424