Figure 1.

Antibiotic-resistant plasmid conjugative transfer in prokaryotes. (A) In biofilms, via complex cell–cell communication mechanisms believed to be activated through quorum sensing, potential donor and recipient cells identify one another for the possible transfer of antibiotic-resistance genes. (B) A donor cell with plasmid-based antibiotic resistance genes will attach to a recipient cell via a narrow pilus, a hair-like appendage as a conjugative bridge to effect resistant gene (R plasmid) transfer [42]. (C) After transfer, both the donor cell and the tranconjugant recipient are equipped with an R plasmid antibiotic-resistant gene(s).