Integron

As Integrons smaller to medium size are gene sequences in bacteria called. They are able to capture DNA areas from a chromosome or a plasmid and then become independent. This allows these gene areas to be introduced into other bacteria. Integrons thus contribute to the so-called horizontal gene pool of bacteria. Mainly, resistance genes are exchanged between different bacterial species in this way. The trapped genes as gene cassettes (gene cassettes) , respectively. Integrons occur in plasmids or in the chromosome itself. They contain genes for a promoter, for the expression of the gene cassette, an integrase that integrates into the host genome and attI or attC regions that serve as recognition sites for the incorporation. One of the largest integrons found so far is the super integron from Vibrio cholerae .

literature

• CM Collis, MJ Kim, SR Partridge, HW Stokes, RM Hall: Characterization of the class 3 integron and the site-specific recombination system it determines . In: Journal of Bacteriology . Vol. 184, No. 11, June 2002, pp. 3017-3026, PMID 12003943 .