Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2017 Dec 5;372(1735). doi: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0424.
In biological systems, evolutionary innovations can spread not only from parent to offspring (i.e. vertical transmission), but also 'horizontally' between individuals, who may or may not be related. Nowhere is this more apparent than in bacteria, where novel ecological traits can spread rapidly within and between species through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). This important evolutionary process is predominantly a by-product of the infectious spread of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). We will discuss the ecological conditions that favour the spread of traits by HGT, the evolutionary and social consequences of sharing traits, and how HGT is shaped by inherent conflicts between bacteria and MGEs.This article is part of the themed issue 'Process and pattern in innovations from cells to societies'.
在生物系统中,进化创新不仅可以从亲代传递给后代(即垂直传播),还可以在个体之间“水平”传播,这些个体可能有关系,也可能没有关系。在细菌中,这一点表现得最为明显,新的生态特征可以通过水平基因转移(HGT)在种内和种间迅速传播。这种重要的进化过程主要是移动遗传元件(MGEs)的感染性传播的副产品。我们将讨论有利于 HGT 传播特征的生态条件、共享特征的进化和社会后果,以及 HGT 如何受到细菌和 MGEs 之间固有冲突的影响。本文是“从细胞到社会的创新过程和模式”专题的一部分。