Mechanisms of plasmid stable maintenance with special focus on plasmid addiction systems.

摘要: The stable inheritance of bacterial plasmids is achieved by a number different mechanisms. Among them are resolution plasmid oligomers into monomers, active partitioning dividing cells and selective killing plasmid-free segregants. A special focus given to the last mechanism. It involves toxin an unstable antidote. antidotes neutralize their cognate toxins or prevent synthesis. decay rates underlie molecular mechanisms activation in cells. By eliminating from population plasmid-bearing ones toxin-antidote couples therefore act as addiction systems.