Project A5
Fitness effects of cross-species gene transfer in bacteria
Project A5 focuses on genome-wide evolution by lateral gene transfer across related Bacillus species. Massively parallel experiments map fitness effects governing the dynamics of gene transfer, including adaptive benefits and fitness barriers generated by functional mismatches between genes from different species in a single organism.
Publications
Wielert, I., Kraus-Römer, S., Volkmann, T. E., Craig, L., Higgins, P. G., & Maier, B, PLOS Biology, 23(1), 30. Jan 2025, 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003022
Genome-wide transformation reveals extensive exchange across closely related Bacillus species
Förster M., Rathman I., Yüksel M., Power J., Maier B., Nucleic Acids Reasearch, 16. Nov 2023, 10.1093/nar/gkad1074
Rathmann I., Förster M., Yüksel M., Horst L., Petrungaro G., Bollenbach T., Maier B., ISME J, 12. Oct 2022, 10.1038/s41396-022-01325-5
External stresses affect gonococcal type 4 pilus dynamics
Kraus-Römer, S., Wielert, I., Rathmann, I., Grossbach, J., Maier, B, Frontiers in Microbiology, 25. Feb 2022, 10.3389/fmicb.2022.839711
Adaptive evolution of hybrid bacteria by horizontal gene transfer
Power J.J., Pinheiro F., Pompei S., Kovacova V., Yüksel M., Rathmann I., Förster M., Lässig M., Maier B., PNAS 11, 118(10), 09. Mar 2021, 10.1073/pnas.2007873118
Hepp C., Maier B., BioEssays, 39: 1700099, 12. September 2017, 10.1002/bies.201700099
Kinetics of DNA uptake during transformation provide evidence for a translocation ratchet mechanism
Hepp C., Maier B., PNAS 113(44): 12467, 17. October 2016, 10.1073/pnas.1608110113
Fitness Trade-Offs in Competence Differentiation of Bacillus subtilis
Yüksel M., Power J.J., Ribbe J., Volkmann T., Maier B., Front. Microbiol. 7: 888, 7. June 2016, 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00888