Enhancement of K-strategy evolution in histidine utilization using a container with compartments.

Evolutionary strategies in growth improvement can be classified into r- or K-strategies. The former strategy corresponds to an evolutionary increase in growth rate, whereas the latter corresponds to an increase in the maximum amount of organisms or carrying capacity. What determines the strategies to be adopted during evolution? Spatial structures that compartmentalize the population into small patches are key to inducing the K-strategy.

A reduced genome decreases the host carrying capacity for foreign DNA.

Background: Host-plasmid interactions have been discussed largely in terms of the influences of plasmids, whereas the contributions of variations in host genomes to host interactions with foreign DNA remain unclear. A strain with a so-called "clean genome" (i.e.

Construction of synthetic gene circuits in the Escherichia coli genome.

The construction of stable and functional synthetic circuits in bacteria is necessary in the areas of systems and synthetic biology. The common approach using plasmids to carry foreign genetic circuits offers convenience in genetic construction but is poor in genetic stability (e.g.