Conjugation mediates horizontal gene transfer by mobilizing plasmid DNA across two different cells, facilitating the spread of beneficial genes. This work describes a widely-used method for the efficient detection of conjugative plasmid transfer, based on the use of differential markers in the conjugative plasmid, donor, and recipient to detect transconjugation.
Mota-Bravo, L., Camps, M., Muñoz-Gutiérrez, I., Tatarenkov, A., Warner, C., Suarez, I., Cortés-Cortés, G. Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli. J. Vis. Exp. (193), e64523, doi:10.3791/64523 (2023).