High Frequency of Horizontal Gene Transfer in the Oceans

Oceanic bacteria perform many environmental functions, including biogeochemical cycling of many elements, metabolizing of greenhouse gases, functioning in oceanic food webs (microbial loop), and producing valuable natural products and viruses. We demonstrate that the widespread capability of marine...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2010-10, Vol.330 (6000), p.50-50
Main Authors: McDaniel, Lauren D, Young, Elizabeth, Delaney, Jennifer, Ruhnau, Fabian, Ritchie, Kim B, Paul, John H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological
Air pollution
Antibiotics
Bacteria
BREVIA
Coastal
Coral reefs
DNA Transposable Elements
Drug Resistance, Bacterial - genetics
Ecosystem
Estuaries
Flavobacterium - drug effects
Flavobacterium - genetics
Flexibacter - drug effects
Flexibacter - genetics
Gene Transfer, Horizontal
Genes
Genetics
Grants
Horizontal
Horizontal gene transfer
Kanamycin resistance
Kanamycin Resistance - genetics
Marine
Marine biology
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Oceans
Oceans and Seas
Prophages
Prophages - genetics
Rhodobacteraceae - drug effects
Rhodobacteraceae - genetics
Rhodobacteraceae - virology
Seawater - microbiology
Streptomycin - metabolism
Streptomycin - pharmacology
Viruses
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Summary:Oceanic bacteria perform many environmental functions, including biogeochemical cycling of many elements, metabolizing of greenhouse gases, functioning in oceanic food webs (microbial loop), and producing valuable natural products and viruses. We demonstrate that the widespread capability of marine bacteria to participate in horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in coastal and oceanic environments may be the result of gene transfer agents (GTAs), viral-like particles produced by α-Proteobacteria. We documented GTA-mediated gene transfer frequencies a thousand to a hundred million times higher than prior estimates of HGT in the oceans, with as high as 47% of the culturable natural microbial community confirmed as gene recipients. These findings suggest a plausible mechanism by which marine bacteria acquire novel traits, thus ensuring resilience in the face of environmental change.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1192243