In prokaryotes, a major contributor to genomic evolution is the exchange of genes via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Areas with a high density of HGT networks are defined as genetic exchange communities (GECs). Although some phenotypes associated with specific ecological niches are linked to GECs, little is known about the phenotypic influences on HGT in bacterial groups within a taxonomic family. Thanks to the published genome sequences and phenotype data of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), it is now possible to obtain more detailed information about the phenotypes that affect GECs. Here, we have investigated the relationship between HGT and internal and external environmental factors for 178 strains from 24 genera in the Lactobacillaceae family. We found a significant correlation between strains with high utilization of sugars and HGT bias. The result suggests that the phenotype of the utilization of a variety of sugars is key to the construction of GECs in this family. This feature is consistent with the fact that the Lactobacillaceae family contributes to the production of a wide variety of fermented foods by sharing niches such as those in vegetables, dairy products and brewing-related environments. This result provides the first evidence that phenotypes associated with ecological niches contribute to form GECs in the LAB family.

中文翻译：

---

糖利用表型有助于乳酸菌遗传交换群落的形成

在原核生物中，基因组进化的一个主要贡献者是通过水平基因转移 (HGT) 进行基因交换。具有高密度 HGT 网络的区域被定义为遗传交换社区 (GEC)。尽管与特定生态位相关的一些表型与 GEC 相关，但对分类家族内细菌群中 HGT 的表型影响知之甚少。由于已公布的乳酸菌 (LAB) 基因组序列和表型数据，现在可以获得有关影响 GEC 的表型的更详细信息。在这里，我们研究了乳杆菌科 24 属 178 株 HGT 与内外环境因素的关系。家庭。我们发现糖分利用率高的菌株与 HGT 偏向性之间存在显着相关性。结果表明，利用多种糖类的表型是构建该家族 GEC 的关键。这一特征与以下事实一致，即乳酸杆菌科通过共享蔬菜、乳制品和酿造相关环境中的生态位，促进了多种发酵食品的生产。这一结果提供了第一个证据，即与生态位相关的表型有助于形成 LAB 家族中的 GEC。