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Mobile Metagenome

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Encyclopedia of Metagenomics

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Synonyms

Gut microbiota; Lateral gene transfer; Mobile microbiome; Phage

Definitions

Metagenome: The collective genomes of all members of a bacterial community.

Mobile metagenome: The total pool of mobile genetic elements associated with a bacterial community.

Mobile genetic element (MGE): A discrete genetic unit capable of mediating its own transfer between distinct DNA molecules, and/or between distinct host cells of the same or different species. Plasmids, transposons, insertion sequences, conjugative transposons, integrons, and bacteriophage are all examples of MGE.

Horizontal gene transfer: Transfer and acquisition of genetic material between distinct cells or species, outside of and in addition to the normal process of inheritance (vertical gene transfer).

Introduction

The adult human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is home to a dense population of microorganisms, reaching an estimated 1013–1014individual prokaryotic cells in the distal colon and dominated by bacteria from ~150 to...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biomedical and Health Science Research, University of Brighton, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Lewes Road, BN2 4GJ, Brighton, East Sussex, UK

    Brian V. Jones

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  1. Brian V. Jones
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Correspondence to Brian V. Jones .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Karen E. Nelson

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Jones, B.V. (2012). Mobile Metagenome. In: Nelson, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metagenomics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_97-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_97-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6418-1

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