What is broad host range plasmids?

The broad-host-range (BHR) plasmids have been defined as those plasmids that can self-transfer themselves and can stably replicate and maintain in bacterial species from at least two subgroups within the Proteobacteria (e.g., between α- and β- Proteobacteria) (Szpirer et al., 1999; Sen et al., 2011).

Do conjugative plasmids have broad host range?

Conjugative gene transfer mediated by BHR plasmids is generally believed to be a common and widespread mechanism for the transfer of genes across a broad phylogenetic range of bacteria (Top and Springael, 2003; Van der Auwera et al., 2009), and plays a crucial role in the adaptation of bacteria to environmental …

What does a broad host range mean?

A term of art referring to an organism’s ability to infect and reproduce in wide range of organisms. Examples. Phages or plasmids that can grow in many different bacterial species, or bacteria which are pathogenic in a range of eukaryotic hosts.

What is meant by narrow host range?

In general, viruses have relatively narrow host ranges and only infect members of a single species, and are often restricted to strains within a species. There are numerous reports of freshwater cyanophages that infect members of different genera.

What determines the host range of a plasmid?

Host-range, a fundamental property of a bacterial plasmid, is primarily determined by the plasmid replication system.

Can there be 2 ori?

Two different Ori helps the plasmid to replicate in different host organisms. Thus the same vector can be directly propagated from one host to another. Its is a type of shuttle vector.

What is conjugative plasmid?

Conjugative plasmids are extra-chromosomal DNA elements that are capable of horizontal transmission and are found in many natural isolated bacteria. Although plasmids may carry beneficial genes to their bacterial host, they may also cause a fitness cost.

What is Incp plasmid?

IncF plasmids have systems which guarantee their autonomous replication but also encode addiction systems frequently based on toxin-antitoxin factors.

Why is host range Significant?

Host range, defined as the number of host species used by a pathogen, is a simple metric that is central to understanding pathogen epidemiology and pathogenicity. Host range conditions the transmission dynamics and survival of pathogens and is predicted to be a major factor in their evolution.

What is a narrow host range?

Generally, narrow-host-range viruses are thought to infect highly abundant hosts, whereas broad-host-range viruses are assumed to infect low-abundance hosts (17, 47).