Lateral Gene Transfer

Synonyms

HGT; Horizontal gene transfer

Keywords

Conjugation, transduction, transfection, transformation

Definition

Lateral or horizontal gene transfer is the acquisition of genetic material from another organism without being its offspring, although it frequently refers to transfer from organisms belonging to another species. It contrasts with vertical gene transfer, which is the acquisition of genetic material from an ancestor.

Overview

There are three known mechanisms of lateral gene transfer: transformation, transduction, and conjugation. Transformation implies the acquisition of naked DNA, for example, from lysed cells, by a recipient cell. Transduction implies the acquisition of DNA via virus intermediaries, which may infect one host, recombine with its genome and pick up some genes that can then be transferred to a second host. Conjugation involves the transfer of large DNA segments via specialized (conjugative) plasmids that are mobilized between cells through particular pili....