The proficiency of the original host species determines community-level plasmid dynamics

ABSTRACT Plasmids are common in natural bacterial communities, facilitating evolution via horizontal gene transfer. Bacterial species vary their proficiency to host plasmids: whereas plasmids stably maintained some regardless of selection for plasmid-encoded genes, other species, even beneficial rapidly lost. It is, however, unclear how this variation affects plasmid persistence communities. Here, we test using multispecies soil communities comprising varying a large conjugative mercury resistance plasmid, pQBR103. The reached higher community-level abundance where and when introduced the community more proficient species. Proficient were also better able disseminate wider diversity These findings suggest that dynamics depend not only upon plasmid's attributes selective environment but