Flashcards in Mechanisms of Bacterial Gene transfer Deck (5)
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1
What are the three means by which bacteria can transfer plasmids to other bacteria?
-conjugation
-transformation
-transduction
2
What is transposon?
-a small genetic element capable of mediating their own movement from one chromosomal (or plasmid) location to another
-compound transposons carry accessory genes, such as antibiotic resistance genes
3
What is bacterial conjugation?
-cell-to-cell contact and formation of a a conjugation bridge via a sex pilus
-conjugative plasmid in donor (male) encodes sex pili to initiate cell-cell contact
-transferred DNA cannot be maintained as an atonomous plasmid, so homologous recombination is required
4
What is bacterial transformation
-DNA binds to and enters the cell surface. then integrates into host chromosome via homologous recombination
5
