Plasmid curing is the loss of a resident plasmid from a microbial cell and the generation of descendants lacking that plasmid. Loss can arise through interference with plasmid replication or segregation, competition between incompatible plasmids, or targeted destruction of plasmid DNA [1][2][. Plasmid-encoded maintenance systems can oppose this process. Toxin–antitoxin systems, for instance, suppress the survival or growth of plasmid-free segregants after loss of the genetic element [3]. In these systems, disappearance of a relatively unstable antitoxin leaves toxin activity insufficiently neutralized, disrupting cellular processes [4]. At population level, the abundance of plasmid-free cells also reflects their relative growth and the reacquisition of plasmids through horizontal transfer. These inheritance, survival, and transmission processes distinguish initial plasmid loss from its persistence across subsequent generations [5].
- plasmid loss
- plasmid maintenance
- plasmid incompatibility
- bacterial genetics
Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology·Genetics·Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology·Life Sciences
References
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- Muhammad Kamruzzaman; Alma Y. Wu; Jonathan R. Iredell; Biological Functions of Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Bacteria. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 1276. [CrossRef]
- Michael A. Brockhurst; Ellie Harrison; Ecological and Evolutionary Solutions to the Plasmid Paradox. Trends Microbiol. 2022, 30, 534-543. [CrossRef]