1.
Science
; 301(5634): 802-3, 2003 Aug 08.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12907791
ABSTRACT
The concept of chromosomes with a ring structure was born during the early studies of bacterial sexuality, and the discovery of fertility factors- episomes or plasmids-provided much later the key tools for gene cloning and biotechnology. But the plasmid-mediated transfer of antibiotic and other resistances, as well as pathogenicity, has served bacteria well in their own adaptive evolution.