1. Wstęp. 2. Mobilne elementy genetyczne. 3. Sekwencje insercyjne i transpozony. 4. Integrony i kasety genowe. 5. Integracyjne elementy koniugacyjne/integrony koniugacyjne. 6. Wyspy patogenności. 7. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Bacterial genomes constantly evolve upon selective pressure of an environmental factors. Mechanisms that play a role in the genome plasticity include mutations, DNA rearrangements and horizontal gene transfer. Mobile genetic elements are potent agents of bacterial evolution as they exhibit intracellular and intercellular mobility. They may be excluded from one locus and integrated elsewhere in the chromosome. Before integration some acquired genetic elements undergo replicative transposition or are transferred horizontally by transduction, natural transformation or conjugative transfer. In this review, we described the various mobile genetic elements that have an impact on bacterial genome plasticity and microbial evolution with a focus on their intracellular mobility.

1. Introduction. 2. Mobile genetic elements. 3. Insertion sequences and transposons. 4. Integrons and gene cassettes. 5. Integrative and conjugative elements. 6. Pathogenicity associated islands. 7. Summary