Do plasmids influence the survival of bacteria?
Bacterial plasmids may contribute to the fitness of a particular bacterial clone to survive in a specific environment. In many cases, however, the determinants that confer the advantage are unknown. The advantages to be gained from plasmid carriage appear to outweigh potential disadvantages imposed by an increased metabolic demand.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D010957:Plasmids