Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are DNA-containing virus-like particles that are produced by some bacteria and archaea and mediate horizontal gene transfer. Different GTA types have originated independently from viruses in several bacterial and archaeal lineages. These cells produce GTA particles containing short segments of the DNA present in the cell. After the particles are released from the producer cell, they can attach to related cells and inject their DNA into the cytoplasm. The DNA can then become part of the recipient cells' genome.[1][2][3][4]
GTAs are classified as viriforms in the ICTV taxonomy. Among the GTAs mentioned by the article, RcGTA and DsGTA are now in the family Rhodogtaviriformidae, BaGTA in Bartogtaviriformidae, and VSH-1 in Brachygtaviriformidae.[5] Dd1 and VTA do not yet have a classification.
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- ^ Stanton TB (April 2007). "Prophage-like gene transfer agents-novel mechanisms of gene exchange for Methanococcus, Desulfovibrio, Brachyspira, and Rhodobacter species". Anaerobe. 13 (2): 43–9. doi:10.1016/j.anaerobe.2007.03.004. PMID 17513139.
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- ^ Kogay, R; Koppenhöfer, S; Beatty, JT; Kuhn, JH; Lang, AS; Zhaxybayeva, O (2022). "Formal recognition and classification of gene transfer agents as viriforms". Virus Evolution. 8 (2): veac100. doi:10.1093/ve/veac100. PMC 9662315. PMID 36381234.