Linear plasmids of microbes represent a heterogenous group of extrachromosomal genetic elements initially assumed to be rare and peculiar. However, we now know that they are fairly frequently occurring plasmids in bacterial and eukaryotic species. Viral strategies to avoid shortening of the linear molecules during replication imply a common ancestry. Linear plasmids may be beneficial, neutral or detrimental for the respective host; functions include production of protein toxins, specific catabolic capabilities, antibiotic resistance, pathogenicity factors, and senescence induction.

Microbial Linear Plasmids constitutes the first attempt to comprehensively assemble current knowledge of different types of such elements, highlight recent developments in the field, and challenge the distinction between viruses and linear plasmids.

Molekulargenetische Experimente mit mikrobiellen, pflanzlichen und tierischen Modellorganismen

Die pro- und eukaryotischen Organismen, die als genetische Modellsysteme bewahrt sind und verwendet werden, sind:
- Escherichia coli
- Bacillus subtilis
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- Neurospora crassa
- Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
- Arabidopsis thaliana
Drosophila melanogaster

Der Inhalt:
- Einfuhrung in die Biologie der Experimentalorganismen
- Kreuzungsexperimente
- DNA-Transformationsexperimente
- Versuche zur RNA-Analytik, zur Analyse von Nukleinsaure-Protein-Interaktionen, zur PCR-Analytik, zur heterologen Genexpression und zum Einsatz von Reportergenen
- Bioinformatik

Die optimale Mischung aus Lehrbuchtext und Experiment "