Bacterial characteristics and genetics Flashcards
What is the endotoxin of Gram-negative bacteria?
Lipopolysaccharide
What is the pathogenetic part of the gram-positive bacteria?
Teichoic acid
Peptidoglycan is composed of long
polysaccharide chains made up of two
main sugars:
N-acetylglucosamine (NAG)
N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM)
The NAG and NAM units alternate
and are linked together by?
β(1→4)
glycosidic bonds
What is the function of the peptydoglycan?
structural support, protection, and shape maintenance.
In how many stages does biosynthesis of peptidoglycan take place?
3:
1) synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine.
2) Intermediate lipid precursor is synthesized.
3) Polymerization of the newly synthesized disaccharide - peptide units.
what are microaerophilic bacteria?
they grow well in low O2 concentrations, but are killed by high O2 concentrations.
beta-hemolysis?
colonies of blood agar plates are surrounded by a zone of complete clearing ( lysis of red blood cells )
alpha-hemolysis?
partial blood hemolysis, surrounded by a greenish halo ( due to the transformation of hemoglobin to methemoglobin.
Gamma-hemolysis?
no change of the surrounding
vertical transmission of bacterial genetic material?
distribution to daughter cells following cell division
Horizontal transmission of bacterial genetic material?
with an unidirectional mechanism from a donor cell to an acceptor cell
Mechanisms of horizontal transfer of genetic material:
Transformation, Transduction, Conjugation
The ability to take up the DNA from the environment is called?
Competence
types of plasmids?
Conjugative, Col plasmids, virulence plasmids, metabolic plasmids.