Agents of change: a partnership between mobile genetic elements facilitates rapid bacterial adaptation

While the evolutionary interests of mobile genetic elements may differ from those of their bacterial hosts, these elements can be beneficial for their hosts by delivering, disrupting, or activating genes. A recent paper by Sastre-Domínguez et al. describes a novel synergistic effect of mobile elements in clinically relevant bacteria, whereby conjugative plasmids that carry transposable elements can be agents of rapid adaptive change through an elevation in transposition-mediated mutation rate. While the evolutionary interests of mobile genetic elements may differ from those of their bacterial hosts, these elements can be beneficial for their hosts by delivering, disrupting, or activating genes. A recent paper by Sastre-Domínguez et al. describes a novel synergistic effect of mobile elements in clinically relevant bacteria, whereby conjugative plasmids that carry transposable elements can be agents of rapid adaptive change through an elevation in transposition-mediated mutation rate.