Article
Plasmid mutation rates scale with copy number.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America - 27 Jan 2026
Ramiro-Martínez Paula, Quinto Ignacio de, Jaraba-Soto Laura, Lanza Val F, Herencias-Rodríguez Cristina, González Casanova Adrián, Peña-Miller Rafael, Rodríguez-Beltrán Jerónimo
Abstract excerpt
Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules that spread by horizontal transfer and shape bacterial evolution. Plasmids are typically present at multiple copies per bacterial cell, and these extra copies increase the supply of plasmid mutations, potentially accelerating their evolution. However, the segregation of plasmid copies to daughter cells is random, introducing an additional layer of genetic drift, termed...
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