title: Phage as agents of lateral gene transfer.
abstract: When establishing lysogeny, temperate phages integrate their genome as a prophage into the bacterial chromosome. Prophages thus constitute in many bacteria a substantial part of laterally acquired DNA. Some prophages contribute lysogenic conversion genes that are of selective advantage to the bacterial host. Occasionally, phages are also involved in the lateral transfer of other mobile DNA elements or bacterial DNA. Recent advances in the field of genomics have revealed a major impact by phages on bacterial chromosome evolution.
authors.affiliation: Nestlé Research Centre, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canchaya
authors.forename: Ghislain
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fournous
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chibani-Chennoufi
authors.forename: Marie Lise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dillmann
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brüssow
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal / Q000502:physiology*; D039002:Prophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development