It is difficult to understand plasmid maintenance in the absence of selection and theoretical
models predict the conditions for plasmid persistence to be limited. Plasmid-associated …

Some plasmids can be transferred by conjugation to other bacterial hosts. But almost half of
the plasmids are non-transmissible. These plasmid types can only be transmitted to the …

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA elements that can be found throughout bacteria, as
well as in other domains of life. Nonetheless, the evolutionary processes underlying the …

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

Plasmids are autonomously replicating genetic elements that are ubiquitous in all taxa and
habitats where they constitute an integral part of microbial genomes. The stable inheritance …

Plasmids are key disseminators of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors, and
it is therefore critical to predict and reduce plasmid spread within microbial communities. The …

Plasmids are genetic elements that play a role in bacterial evolution by providing new genes
that promote adaptation to diverse conditions. Plasmids are also known to reduce bacterial …

The evolutionary pressures that determine the location (chromosomal or plasmid-borne) of
bacterial genes are not fully understood. We investigate these pressures through …

Conjugative plasmids are widespread and play an important role in bacterial evolution by
accelerating adaptation through horizontal gene transfer. However, explaining the long-term …

Rising rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are a threat to global health. The spread of
AMR genes in bacteria is driven to a large extent by the action of plasmids (1). Plasmids are …