Dear Colleagues,

Mobile genetic elements (including insertion sequences, transposons, integron gene cassettes, plasmids, prophages, casposons, integrative and conjugative elements, and mobile genomic islands) move within and between DNA molecules. Together, they play a central role in facilitating horizontal gene exchange among phylogenetically distant species. Even if these mobile DNA molecules are not crucial for host viability, they promote the acquisition of new phenotypic traits, playing an important role in the adaptation of their host bacterial strains to diverse challenging environments.

Genome-wide analyses have resulted in the identification and characterization of an increasing number of different types of MGEs. Many of these have been extensively studied in recent years; however, there is still a considerable gap in our knowledge concerning the biological and evolutionary role of MGEs – both in environmental and clinical bacterial isolates. One of the most exciting topics is how they survive and evolve and what underlies their persistence in the environment. Their role in enabling the adaptation of their hosts to hostile environments is an enduring question.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Microorganisms concerning MGEs – their impact on bacterial adaptability and evolution. Our aim is to highlight, through original research articles and reviews, the biological roles of MGEs, their importance in the properties they confer to their bacterial hosts, their specific interactions with their host strains, their contribution to diverse phenotypes, and the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic traits. An equally important issue is the role of the genetic load of MGEs in adaptation of these elements to new host strains and their survival and persistence in the environment.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Grazyna Jagura-Burdzy
Prof. Dr. Dariusz Bartosik
Guest Editors

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• plasmids
• transposons
• integrons
• integrative conjugative elements
• mobile genomic islands
• phages
• MGE adaptation to the hosts and environment