Gomis-Rüth F Xavier, Coll Miquel
Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (CSIC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Josep Samitier 1-5, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2006 Dec;16(6):744-52. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2006.10.004. Epub 2006 Oct 31.
Conjugation is a paradigmatic example of horizontal or lateral gene transfer, whereby DNA is translocated between bacterial cells. It provides a route for the rapid acquisition of new genetic information. Increased antibiotic resistance among pathogens is a troubling consequence of this microbial capacity. DNA transfer across cell membranes requires a sophisticated molecular machinery that involves the participation of several proteins in DNA processing and replication, cell recruitment, and the transport of DNA and proteins from donor to recipient cells. Although bacterial conjugation was first reported in the 1940s, only now are we beginning to unravel the molecular mechanisms behind this process. In particular, structural biology is revealing the detailed molecular architecture of several of the pieces involved.
接合是水平或横向基因转移的一个典型例子，通过这种方式，DNA在细菌细胞之间进行转移。它为快速获取新的遗传信息提供了一条途径。病原体中抗生素耐药性增加是这种微生物能力带来的一个令人不安的后果。跨细胞膜的DNA转移需要复杂的分子机制，这涉及到几种蛋白质参与DNA加工和复制、细胞募集以及DNA和蛋白质从供体细胞到受体细胞的运输。尽管细菌接合在20世纪40年代就首次被报道，但直到现在我们才开始揭示这一过程背后的分子机制。特别是，结构生物学正在揭示其中几个组件的详细分子结构。
