Episome (Noun)
Meaning
DNA that is not incorporated into the genome but is replicated together with the genome (especially in bacterial cells).
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The episome replicated independently of the bacterial host, causing the cells to produce toxic proteins.
- The DNA pulsed field analysis showed the episome was 1000 kb long, large for a non-integrated genetic element.
- Studies on the episome have shed new light on DNA transfer between bacterias in the environment.
- Most research focused on episomals that contoured plasmid mixtures, but there is evidence for viral episomes too.
- The transcription of the episome caused rapid cell division, leading to bacterial cancer-like tissues.