Bacterial Genome Instability

Abstract

SUMMARY Bacterial genomes are remarkably stable from one generation to the next but are plastic on an evolutionary time scale, substantially shaped by horizontal gene transfer, genome rearrangement, and the activities of mobile DNA elements. This implies the existence of a delicate balance between the maintenance of genome stability and the tolerance of genome instability. In this review, we describe the specialized genetic elements and the endogenous processes that contribute to genome instability. We then discuss the consequences of genome instability at the physiological level, where cells have harnessed instability to mediate phase and antigenic variation, and at the evolutionary level, where horizontal gene transfer has played an important role. Indeed, this ability to share DNA sequences has played a major part in the evolution of life on Earth. The evolutionary plasticity of bacterial genomes, coupled with the vast numbers of bacteria on the planet, substantially limits our ability to control disease.

CRISPR-based screening of genomic island excision events in bacteria

“…The term "MGE" encompasses plasmids, bacteriophages, transposable elements, genomic islands, and many other specialized genetic elements (1). MGEs encompass genes conferring high rates of dissemination, adaptive advantages to the host, and genomic stability, leading to their nearly universal presence in bacterial genomes.…”

Novel vacA s1d signal sequence found in Helicobacter pylori from Mexican Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

“…The coexistence of different strains in a bacterial population sharing only one niche leads to high rates of recombination, generating new genotypes among strains of the same species or different genders, which are better adapted to micro-environmental conditions [2,18,31,32]. The exchange of genetic material between bacteria is a common phenomenon in which the horizontal transference of genes participates through mobile elements, enriching the accessory genome that is suitable for the bacterium even more [33][34][35][36][37]. It is known that H. pylori is a natural transformant, which makes it genome dynamic.…”

Implicancias Estructurales y Fisiológicas de la Célula Bacteriana en los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antibiótica

“…El genoma bacteriano tiene plasticidad, varía entre la estabilidad e inestabilidad, permitiéndole adaptación, protección de infecciones por fagos, capacidad de sobrevivencia y resistencia a antimicrobianos (Darmon & Leach, 2014).…”