Chapter 7 Flashcards
What are the 9 advantages of using bacteria and viruses for genetic studies?
- Reproduction is rapid
- Many progeny reproduced
- The haploid genome allows all mutations to be expressed directly
- Asexual reproduction simplifies the isolation of genetically pure strains
- Growth in lab is easy and requires little space
- Genomes are small
- Techniques are available for isolating and manipulating bacterial genes
- They have medical importance
- They can be genetically engineered to produce substances of commercial value
What are the characteristics of prokaryotes?
Unicellular, no nucleus, no membrane bound organelle, diverse shapes and sizes, binary fission, haploid, single circular dsDNA chromosome, most of the genome encode protein.
What do organisms need to live?
- An energy source (like carbohydrates)
- May need organic growth factors (like an amino acid)
- Lack of toxins or ability to breakdown toxins (like antibiotics)
What are catabolic genes?
Provide information to synthesize enzymes needed to break down molecules for energy. Break down carbohydrates, like gal and lac.
Can be gal+, gal-, lac+, lac-
‘+’ means they can break it down
‘-‘means they can’t
What are anabolic genes?
Provide information to synthesize enzymes needed to make molecules. Makes amino acids like his, trp, leu, thr
Each can have either a ‘+’ or a ‘-‘
‘+’ means they can synthesize it
‘-‘ means they can’t
What are antibiotic resistant genes?
Provide information to synthesize enzymes needed to make molecules. Resist antibiotics.
examples are amp, tet
can be ampr, amps
tetr, tets
‘r’ means they are resistant
‘s’ means they aren’t
What is a prototrophic?
Wild type (ex. leu+), can live on minimum media
What is an auxotrophic?
Mutant type (ex. leu-), need complete media: contain all substances required by auxotrophic bacteria.
Does E. coli (his-) on a plate with media that does NOT contain the amino acid histidine grow bacteria? What about E. coli (his+)?
E. coli (his-) does not grow bacteria.
E. coli (his+) does grow bacteria.
Does E. coli (lac-) on a plate with media that contains only lactose as an energy source grow bacteria? What about with E. coli (lac+)?
E. coli (lac-) does not grow bacteria.
E. coli (lac+) does grow bacteria.
Does E. coli (ampr) on a plate with media that contains ampicillin grow bacteria? What about E. coli (amps)?
E. coli (ampr) does grow bacteria.
E. coli (amps) does not grow bacteria.
Why is replica plating used?
It’s useful for screening and selecting for mutants. A colony that grows only on the supplemented medium has a mutation in a gene that encodes the synthesis of an essential nutrient.
What are plasmids?
Small, circular DNA distinct from the chromosome. Carry genes not essential to function, could have important roles. (promote conjugation, produce compounds that kill other bacteria, antibiotic resistant, metabolism, genetic engineering)
What is the origin?
The special starting point for DNA replication.
What did the Lederberg and Tatum experiment prove?
Bacteria can exchange large pieces of genetic information
Bacteria’s genes can also change in a way similar to that of sexual reproduction seen in more complex organisms
What do the U-tube experiments show?
They provide a way to ascertain if transfers are due to conjugation, transformation, or transduction.
It’s conjugation if the auxotrophs do not change phenotype.
If they do change, it could be either transformation or transduction. You can use DNase to degrade free DNA to figure it out (viruses protect DNA from degrading in the presence of DNase).
What are the 3 types of gene transfer in bacteria?
- Conjugation- direct transfer of DNA from on bacterium to another.
- Transformation- bacterium takes up free DNA.
- Transduction- bacterial viruses take DNA from one bacterium to another.
How do the 3 transfers of bacteria differ from genetic exchange that occurs in sexual reproduction?
- DNA exchange and reproduction are not coupled in bacteria.
- Donated genetic material not recombined into the host DNA is usually degraded.
In conjugation, what are F+, F-, Hfr, and F’ (prime) cells?
F+ cells: donor cells contain F factor
F- cells: recipient cells lacking F factor
Hfr cells: donor cells with F factor integrated into the donor bacterial chromosome- process can reverse, so Hfr cell becomes F+ or F’.
F’ cells: Contains F plasmid carrying some bacterial genes.
What is an F factor?
A piece of DNA that is either autonomous or integrated into the bacterial DNA.
How is distance between genes measured during conjugation?
Measured by the time required for DNA transfer from Hfr cells to F- cells.
Cotransformation between two genes is more likely if they are:
Close to one another.
Which explanation is one of the reasons for the ability of the influenza virus to evolve rapidly?
The virus may undergo antigenic shift when multiple strains infect the same organism.
A cell that carries a F factor integrated into the bacterial chromosome is best known as a/an:
Hfr cell