Superiority of chromosomal compared to plasmid-encoded compensatory mutations.

A preprint abstract from biorxiv.org discusses the superiority of chromosomal compensatory mutations (chrCM) compared to plasmid compensatory mutations (plaCM) in microbial communities. Plasmids, which are important vectors of horizontal gene transfer, can impose a burden on bacteria. Compensatory mutations can reduce or resolve these fitness costs, and the study found that chrCM dominated over plaCM in all conditions due to a more effective mechanism of compensation and advantages in plasmid transmission. The results have broader implications for plasmid-bacterial evolution and suggest the emergence of compensated bacteria that can act as hubs for plasmid accumulation and dissemination. [Extracted from the article]