Plasmids are and will remain important cloning vehicles for biotechnology. They have also
been associated with the spread of a number of diseases and therefore are a subject of …

Plasmids are important “vehicles” for the communication of genetic information between
bacteria. The exchange of plasmids transmits pathogenically and environmentally relevant …

Plasmids contain a backbone of core genes that remains relatively stable for long
evolutionary periods, making sense to speak about plasmid species. The identification and …

Many factors can influence the ability of plasmids to colonize different hosts, efficient
replication probably being the most critical one. Two major strategies seem to facilitate …

The ability of bacterial plasmids to adapt to novel hosts and thereby shift their host range is
key to their long-term persistence in bacterial communities. Promiscuous plasmids of the …

Plasmids are key vectors of horizontal gene transfer and essential genetic engineering tools.
They code for genes involved in many aspects of microbial biology, including detoxication …

Identification and classification has always been an impor-tant aspect of the study of living
organisms. This statement applies not only to higher plants and animals, but also to …

Highlights•Plasmid evolution reviewed from the perspective of plasmids.•Mobility, stability,
and indispensability largely determine plasmid lifestyles.•Changes in plasmid traits facilitate …

Plasmids mediate the horizontal transmission of genetic information between bacteria,
facilitating their adaptation to multiple environmental conditions. An especially important …

Plasmids are genetic elements that colonize and replicate in prokaryotic cells (Box 1). They
are considered a major driving force of prokaryote evolution, as they can migrate between …