Answer to Question #117641 in Genetics for MAKHUOGA ALFRED FRIDAY

Question

As with all proteins, beta-lactamase is encoded by a section of DNA – but how does that DNA and the ability to produce a new protein transfer from one population of bacteria that have resistance to another population that don’t?

Other than direct transfer from parent to daughter cell, horizontal transmission of DNA between different genomes also occurs. Horizontal gene transfer is made possible by the existence of mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids (extrachromosomal genetic material), transposons (“jumping genes”) and bacteria-infecting viruses (bacteriophages). These elements are transferred between organisms through different mechanisms, which in prokaryotes include transformation, conjugation, and transduction.



Write a sentence for each of these mechanisms describing the manner in which the DNA can be transferred from one cell to another.

Answer 1

 Bacteria can also transfer plasmids to one another through a process called conjugation (during this process pili are grouped in bridge to exchsnge DNA. In these plasmids there are some extra genes - sometimes including beta-lactamase and others agents against of antibiotics.

Horizontal transposon transfer (HTT) refers to the passage of pieces of DNA that are characterized by their ability to move from one locus to another between genomes by means other than parent-to-offspring inheritance. Horizontal gene transfer has long been thought to be crucial to prokaryotic evolution, but there is a growing amount of data showing that HTT is a common and widespread phenomenon.  DNA transposons  and LTR retroelements are more likely to be capable of HTT because both have a stable, double-stranded DNA intermediate.It generates chromosomal rearangement hotspots and silencing of some genes.

Transduction involves the transfer of DNA from one bacterial cell to another using a bacteriophage (phage) as an intermediate.  They may carry, for example beta-lactamase gene and be courier between two bacterial organisms.