This book is about mobile genes?the transfer of DNA between unrelated cells. It discusses the machinery of gene transfer and its wide-ranging biological and health consequences. Mobile DNA makes possible the development of antibiotic resistance in microbes, the conversion of harmless to pathogenic bacteria, and the triggering of cancerous growth in cells. It also contributes to human evolution. This well-illustrated volume contains an up-to-date account of a topic now seen as increasingly important, and will be invaluable for both working scientists and as a textbook for advanced courses

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: DNA and Lateral Transfer Chapter 3: Conjugation, Transposition, and Antibiotic Resistance Chapter 4: Phage Transduction and Bacterial Pathogenesis Chapter 5: Microbial Genomes and DNA Exchange Chapter 6: Gene Transfer by Retroviruses Chapter 7: Lateral DNA Transfer and the AIDS Epidemic Chapter 8: Genes Floating on a Sea of Retrotransposons Chapter 9: The DNA Transposons of Eukaryotes: Mariners Sailing to Survive? Chapter 10: Lateral Transfer in Eukaryotic Genomes: Fluidity in the Human Blueprint Chapter 11: A Transposon Progenitor of the Vertebrate Immune System Chapter 12: DNA Transfer Among the Domains of Life Chapter 13: Controlling Mobile Element Activity Chapter 14: Lateral DNA Transfer: Themes and Evolutionary Implications Index