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. 2022 Mar 31;13:859854. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.859854

Table 4.

Summary of terms and definitions of mobile genetics elements (MGEs) in Salmonella enterica.

Mobile genetic elements Definition
Plasmids Plasmids are genetic elements that are typically circular DNA in a cell that can replicate independently of the chromosomes. They have variable host-ranges and can be conjugative and replicate in diverse genera.
Integrons Integrons are genetic elements with a site-specific recombination system that can integrate, express and exchange specific DNA elements (gene cassettes), including resistance genes.
Transposable elements/Transposons (Tn) Transposable elements/ Transposons (Tn) are known as “jumping genes” that can move themselves (and associated resistance genes) almost randomly to new locations in the same or different DNA molecules within a single cell.
Resistance islands Resistance islands are genomic islands (GIs) containing MDR genes.
Bacteriophages Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that infect and replicate only in bacterial cells.
Insertion sequences Insertion sequences are small mobile elements (generally 700 ~ 2,500 bp) and only code for proteins implicated in the transposition activity. They can move themselves almost randomly to new locations in the same or different DNA molecules within a single cell.