Pneumococcal Extracellular Vesicles Mediate Horizontal Gene Transfer via the Transformation Machinery.
BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.15.571797. [PMID:
38168155 PMCID:
PMC10760141 DOI:
10.1101/2023.12.15.571797]
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Abstract
Bacterial cells secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs), the function of which is a matter of intense investigation. Here, we show that the EVs secreted by the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) are associated with bacterial DNA on their surface and can deliver this DNA to the transformation machinery of competent cells. These findings suggest that EVs contribute to gene transfer in Gram-positive bacteria, and in doing so, may promote the spread of drug resistance genes in the population.
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