Open access
Sep 2026
Mobile genetic elements drive a plasmid fusion and deletion lifecycle shaping evolution and antimicrobial resistance
It is proposed that MGE-driven fusion-deletion cycles represent a general principle of plasmid evolution, explaining the rapid emergence and persistence of multidrug-resistant plasmids across bacterial pathogens.
Thomas Ipoutcha, Yi-Qing Wang, Eduardo P. C. Rocha et al.
· Nature Communications · 0 citations