The genus Mycobacterium contains several slow-growing human pathogens, including
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, and Mycobacterium avium …

Horizontal gene transfer can trigger rapid shifts in bacterial evolution. Driven by a variety of
mobile genetic elements—in particular bacteriophages and plasmids—the ability to share …

Self versus non-self discrimination is a key element of innate and adaptive immunity across
life. In bacteria, CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems recognize non-self nucleic …

To provide protection against viral infection and limit the uptake of mobile genetic elements,
bacteria and archaea have evolved many diverse defence systems. The discovery and …

Bacteria have evolved a variety of defence mechanisms to protect against mobile genetic
elements, including restriction-modification systems and CRISPR–Cas. In recent years …

Most bacteria and archaea possess multiple antiviral defence systems that protect against
infection by phages, archaeal viruses and mobile genetic elements. Our understanding of …

Structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) complexes fold DNA by loop extrusion to
support chromosome segregation and genome maintenance. Wadjet systems …

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major driving force of bacterial diversification and
evolution. For tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria, the impact of HGT in the emergence and …

Cells are continuously facing the risk of taking up foreign DNA that can compromise
genomic integrity. Therefore, bacteria are in a constant arms race with mobile genetic …

Chromosomes readily unlink and segregate to daughter cells during cell division,
highlighting a remarkable ability of cells to organize long DNA molecules. SMC complexes …