{
  "abstract": "Selective DNA delivery to specific members of assembled bacterial communities remains challenging. Bacterial conjugation enables efficient DNA delivery, but transfer to non-target recipients limits its specificity within mixed communities. Here, we repurpose plasmid entry exclusion (Eex) as a recipient-side gate to control conjugative DNA delivery. We demonstrate selective plasmid delivery to Eex-negative recipients within populations containing both Eex-expressing and Eex-negative cells. This recipient selectivity was maintained at increased cell densities and during prolonged mating. By combining RP4-type and F-type conjugation systems with their corresponding exclusion modules, we further directed DNA delivery from distinct donors to defined recipient populations. RP4-derived Eex also functioned in environmental bacteria, including Pseudomonas putida and Sphingobium japonicum, enabling recipient-specific exclusion within a multispecies mixture. Furthermore, repeated cycles of Eex-guided conjugation and selection altered community composition after assembly. These results establish entry exclusion as a recipient-side strategy for selective conjugative DNA delivery and, when combined with selection, for controlling the composition of assembled bacterial communities.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Molecular and Chemical Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "K. Kishida"
    },
    {
      "name": "N. Ogawa-Kishida"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Stari"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. Ohtsubo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. Nagata"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/219nqgns6jhv7.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.24.754286",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754286v1.full",
  "id": "219nqgns6jhv7",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754286v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1311|Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214311155",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754286v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-24",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/219nqgns6jhv7.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:37Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.24.754286",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754286v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Entry exclusion enables selective conjugative DNA delivery in synthetic bacterial communities.",
  "title_text": "Entry exclusion enables selective conjugative DNA delivery in synthetic bacterial communities.",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/219nqgns6jhv7",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}