Discovery of integrons in Archaea: platforms for cross-domain gene transfer

Abstract

SummaryHorizontal gene transfer between different domains of life is increasingly being recognised as an important driver of evolution, with the potential to provide the recipient with new gene functionality and assist niche adaptation1-3. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the integration of exogenous genes from foreign domains are mostly unknown. Integrons are a family of genetic elements that facilitate this process within Bacteria via site-specific DNA recombination4-7. Integrons, however, have not been reported outside Bacteria, and thus their potential role in cross-domain gene transfer has not been investigated. Here we show that integrons are also present among diverse phyla within the domain Archaea. Further, we provide experimental evidence that integron-mediated recombination can facilitate the recruitment of archaeal genes by bacteria. Our findings establish a new mechanism that can facilitate horizontal gene transfer between the two domains of prokaryotes, which has important implications for prokaryotic evolution in both clinical and environmental contexts.