“…12 It is well established that plasmids in a variety of prokaryotes carry and distribute a plethora of genes conferring adaptation, such as resistance to antibacterial compounds against human, animal and plant pathogens, virulence genes, ultraviolet resistance genes, detoxifying enzymes, bacteriocins and enzymes for secondary metabolism. 2,[13][14][15][16][17][18] A remarkable aspect of plasmids as MGEs is that they can hold and transfer large amounts of DNA, allowing for quantum leap 19,20 evolution and the acquisition of very complex phenotypes, including the transformation of nonpathogenic or low virulence bacteria into devastating pathogens of plants and animals. For example, the enterobacterium Pantoea agglomerans (syn.…”