Conjugation across and kin: A review.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major driving force in shaping bacterial communities. Key elements responsible for HGT are conjugation-like events and transmissible plasmids. Conjugative plasmids can promote their own transfer as well as that of co-resident plasmids.

Conjugation-mediated transfer of pXO16, a large plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis sv. israelensis, across the Bacillus cereus group and its impact on host phenotype.

pXO16, the 350 kb-conjugative plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis sv. israelensis promotes its own transfer at high efficiency, triggers the transfer of mobilizable and non-mobilizable plasmids, as well as the transfer of host chromosomal loci. Naturally found in B.

New Insights into the Potential Cytotoxic Role of Cytotoxin K-1.

The thermotolerant representative of the group, , reliably harbors the coding gene of cytotoxin K-1 (CytK-1). This protein is a highly cytotoxic variant of CytK toxin, initially recovered from a diarrheal foodborne outbreak that caused the death of three people. In recent years, the cytotoxicity of has become controversial, with some strains displaying a high cytotoxicity while others show no cytotoxicity towards cell lines.

TipB, a novel cell wall hydrolase, is required for efficient conjugative transfer of pXO16 from Bacillus thuringiensis sv. israelensis.

pXO16, a large plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis, exhibits unique features. Not only is pXO16 able to transfer at high frequencies within few minutes, but it is also able to transfer among virtually all members of the Bacillus cereus group. Among the proteins encoded in the tip transfer locus of pXO16, TipB displays an atypical organization compared to known conjugative cell wall hydrolases with the large central soluble lytic transglycosylase (SLT) domain missing from the protein.

pXO16, the large conjugative plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis displays an extended host spectrum.

pXO16, the large conjugative plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis is able to efficient self-transfer, to mobilize and retro-mobilize non-conjugative plasmids, including "non-mobilizable" plasmids, and to transfer chromosomal loci. It also displays a remarkable aggregation phenotype associated with conjugation under liquid conditions. However, it was recently shown that aggregation boosts pXO16 transfer but is not mandatory.