Conjugation as a tool for genetic engineering

Conjugation, i.e. the exchange of genetic information from one cell to another through direct contact, is a predominant mechanism of DNA transfer in the wild. It is responsible for the spread of diverse phenotypes in bacterial communities and for the reprogramming of plant cells into proliferative sugar factories. Here, we describe modifications to two different conjugative systems that enable their use as precise genome engineering tools for both plants and soil bacteria.