Heinemann J A
Laboratory of Microbial Structure and Function, NIAID, NIH, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, MT 59840.
Trends Genet. 1991 Jun;7(6):181-5. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(91)90433-q.
Bacteria transfer genetic information to members of at least three of the five biological kingdoms. Gene transfer between species may play the same role as sex between members of a single species, providing genetic diversity and material for repair of genomic damage.