Natural bacterial transformation involves the internalization and chromosomal integration of
DNA and has now been documented in∼ 80 species. Recent advances have established …

Many bacteria are naturally competent, able to actively transport environmental DNA
fragments across their cell envelope and into their cytoplasm. Because incoming DNA …

Bacterial anti-phage systems are frequently clustered in microbial genomes, forming
defense islands. This property enabled the recent discovery of multiple defense systems …

Bacteria carry diverse genetic systems to defend against viral infection, some of which are
found within prophages where they inhibit competing viruses. Phage satellites pose …

Cyclic di-and linear oligo-nucleotide signals activate defenses against invasive nucleic
acids in animal immunity; however, their evolutionary antecedents are poorly understood …

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays an important role in bacterial evolution. It is well
accepted that DNA is pulled/pushed into recipient cells by conserved membrane-associated …

The intense arms race between bacteria and phages has led to the development of diverse
antiphage defense systems in bacteria. Unlike well-known restriction-modification and …

Bacterial genomics is flourishing, as whole-genome sequencing has become affordable,
readily available and rapid. As a result, it has become clear how frequently horizontal gene …

The cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus is a model organism for the study of
circadian rhythms. It is naturally competent for transformation—that is, it takes up DNA from …

Natural genetic transformation is widely distributed in bacteria. It is a genetically
programmed process that is inherent to the species. Transformation requires a specialized …