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Letter

Nature Genetics 34, 80–84 (1 May 2003) | doi:10.1038/ng1139

Unconventional conjugal DNA transfer in mycobacteria

Jun Wang , Linda M. Parsons & Keith M. Derbyshire

Bacterial conjugation is an active process that results in unidirectional transfer of DNA from a donor to a recipient cell. Most transfer systems are plasmid-encoded and require proteins to act at a unique cis-acting site to initiate and complete DNA transfer.