Bacterial Transformation (13.2) Flashcards
Describe plasmids
Small, circular DNA molecules found in bacterial cells
State what plasmids are often used as
Vectors
Provide an alternative term to describe vectors
Carriers
State the role of plasmids in DNA exchange
Employed as vectors to move target DNA from one organism to another.
State what genes can be inserted into
Plasmids
State by what process genes from unique organisms can be incorporated into bacterial cells
Bacterial transformation
State what the inserted gene can be replicated by
Self-replicating properties of plasmid & bacterial cells
State what an inserted gene can express once replicated
Proteins for which it codes
Describe restriction enzymes
Naturally-occurring bacterial enzyme which can be employed in genetic engineering
Provide an alternative term for restriction enzymes
Endonucleases
State what endonucleases have enabled
- cutting of DNA into smaller, more usable fragments
- isolating regions of interest
State what endonucleases compose
Bacterial cell’s defence system
State what endonucleases target as part of the bacterial cell’s defence system
Foreign DNA that may enter the cell
Describe bacteriophages
A virus that infects a bacteria
State what each restriction enzyme generally targets
Specific sequence of nucleotides (usually 4-6 base pairs in length)
State what a specific sequence of nucleotides targeted by restriction enzymes is referred to as
Recognition site
State what occurs every time a restriction enzyme passes its recognition site
Breaks the phosphodiester backbone once on each DNA strand
State whether or not bacterial cells cut up their own DNA
No.
State what the name of the enzyme in bacteria which adds a methyl group to a specific nucleotide is
Methylase
State where methylase adds a methyl group to a specific nucleotide in bacteria
Within the recognition site of the restriction enzymes made by the bacteria
State what adding specific nucleotides within the recognition site of the restriction enzymes made by the bacterium blocks
Restriction enzymes from binding to and cutting the baterium’s own DNA
State the 2 types of retstriction enzymes
- sticky-end restriction
2. blunt-end restriction
State how sticky-end restriction enzymes leave DNA fragments
Overhanging ends
State where sticky-end restriction enzymes cut the DNA backbone
At different locations on each strand within the recognition site
State what cutting the DNA backbone at different location on each strand within the recognition site results in
A staggered cut, leaving ‘sticky ends’
State what the ‘sticky ends’ left by the sticky-end restriction enzyme action are composed of
Two fragments have bases exposed
State what the exposed bases left by the ‘sticky end’ restriction enzyme can form
Complementary base pairs
State how exposed bases left by the ‘sticky end’ of a restriction enzyme interact
Hydrogen bonding occurs between nucleotides of other DNA molecules that have complementary sticky ends
Provide 1 example of a sticky-end restriction enzyme
EcoRI
Describe blunt-end restriction enzymes
A restriction enzyme that leaves clean-cut ends because it cuts both strands of the DNA molecule at the same location within the recognition site
Describe sticky-end restriction enzymes
A type of restriction enzyme that makes a staggered cut in DNA to leave fragments with overhanging ends
State how blunt-end restriction enzymes leave DNA fragments
Clean-cut ends
State where blunt-end restriction enzymes cut the DNA backbone
At same location on each strand within the recognition site