fig3

Figure 3. Three types of MGEs and how they are transmitted vertically or horizontally between bacterial cells that are inherited from the mother. The red color (left) represents conjugative elements (e.g., plasmids and ICEs), which can be maintained as extrachromosomal elements or integrated into the host genome and be transferred horizontally between bacterial cells via conjugation. The magenta color (center) represents P-Ps, which can be maintained as plasmids in host cells and transferred via viral lysis and potentially by conjugation. The dark blue color (right) represents phages that can be maintained integrated in the host genome or transferred between bacterial cells by viral lysis. MGEs: Mobile genetic elements; ICEs: integrative and conjugative elements; P-Ps: phage plasmids.