Phenomena and Processes

Genomic Islands

Distinct units in some bacterial, bacteriophage or plasmid GENOMES that are types of MOBILE GENETIC ELEMENTS. Encoded in them are a variety of fitness conferring genes, such as VIRULENCE FACTORS (in pathogenicity islands or islets), ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE genes, or genes required for SYMBIOSIS (in symbiosis islands or islets). They range in size from 10 - 500 kilobases, and their GC CONTENT and CODON usage differ from the rest of the genome. They typically contain an INTEGRASE gene, although in some cases this gene has been deleted resulting in anchored genomic islands.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Distinct units in some bacterial, bacteriophage or plasmid GENOMES that are types of MOBILE GENETIC ELEMENTS. Encoded in them are a variety of fitness conferring genes, such as VIRULENCE FACTORS (in pathogenicity islands or islets), ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE genes, or genes required for SYMBIOSIS (in symbiosis islands or islets). They range in size from 10 - 500 kilobases, and their GC CONTENT and CODON usage differ from the rest of the genome. They typically contain an INTEGRASE gene, although in some cases this gene has been deleted resulting in anchored genomic islands.

MeSH Record

Classification

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

29 entry terms
  • Genomic Island
  • Island, Genomic
  • Islands, Genomic
  • Anchored Genomic Islands
  • Genomic Islets
  • Pathogenicity Islands
  • Pathogenicity Islets
  • Symbiosis Islands
  • Symbiosis Islets
  • Anchored Genomic Island
  • Genomic Island, Anchored
  • Genomic Islands, Anchored
  • Genomic Islet
  • Island, Anchored Genomic
  • Island, Pathogenicity
  • Island, Symbiosis
  • Islands, Anchored Genomic
  • Islands, Pathogenicity
  • Islands, Symbiosis
  • Islet, Genomic
  • Islet, Pathogenicity
  • Islet, Symbiosis
  • Islets, Genomic
  • Islets, Pathogenicity
  • Islets, Symbiosis
  • Pathogenicity Island
  • Pathogenicity Islet
  • Symbiosis Island
  • Symbiosis Islet

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

6 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings drug effects, ethics, genetics, immunology, physiology, radiation effects.

MeSH Record

History Note

2004

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Genomic Islands. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D044404. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D044404
  2. Genomic Islands. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genomic_island
  3. Genomic Islands. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5195454