Bacterial R-bodies with common morphologies and unrolling dynamics are phylogenetically scattered, indicating extensive lateral gene transfer and wide application potential.

R-bodies from six Pseudomonadota species show extensive lateral gene transfer and can be classified into two distinct extension kinetic classes, "fast burst" and "slow."

• Why it matters: Understanding the diversity and dynamics of R-bodies is crucial for developing biotechnological tools and applications, yet their genetic and morphological variability has not been integrated into a unified framework.
• What they did: The study examined R-bodies from diverse Pseudomonadota species using electron microscopy, high-quality imaging, and high frame-rate light microscopy, analyzing morphology, genetics, and extension kinetics.
• The result: Findings suggest extensive lateral gene transfer confounds a common morphological framework, while the classification into two kinetic types offers a practical criterion for selecting R-bodies in biotech applications.