Lecture 35: Microbial Genetics Flashcards
1
Q
If there is moisture there’ll be…
A
- Microorganisms
- They’re evolving all the time
2
Q
The properties of a bacterial genome:
A
- Mutation
- Transformation
- Transduction
- Conjugation
3
Q
What is Mutation (in terms of bacterial genomes) important for?
A
- Generating Microbial diversity
4
Q
What occurs during Transformation (in terms of bacterial genomes)?
A
- Selective uptake of DNA by some bacteria
5
Q
What occurs during Transduction (in terms of bacterial genomes)?
A
- Exchange of Bacterial DNA by viruses
6
Q
What is a genome?
A
- The total complement of genetic information of a cell or a virus
- Blend of gene and chromosome
7
Q
What is genomics?
A
- Study of all the genes of a cell, or tissue, at the DNA (genotype), RNA (transcriptome), or protein (proteome)
8
Q
Was the man-made chromosome made using completely artificial materials?
A
- No, still needed a living cell
- Artificial template
9
Q
Spores:
A
- Natures way to preserve genomes
- Lets organisms survive in extreme conditions
10
Q
As you increase the gene complement you increase…
A
- The chances of growth
11
Q
What occurs during mutation in a bacterial genome?
A
- Change in single nucleotide (substitution, deletion, addition)
- Occur spontaneously and randomly
- Can be induced (UV, chemicals, etc.)
- DNA –> RNA : low fidelity reaction, viruses have a high chance of mutation
- Tons of strains
12
Q
What occurs during transformation?
A
- Transfer of genetic information between one organism and another
- Involves the exchange of naked DNA with recipient cells / uptake of DNA
- Horizontal Gene Transfer = not related organisms exchanging genetic info
- Used in Biotechnology: select genes and put them into other organisms (GMO)
13
Q
Griffith’s Transformation Experiment:
A
- Live cells = dead mouse
- Heat treated dead S strain cells = alive mouse
- Strain R cells (no capsule) = alive mouse
- Living strain R + Heat treated dead cells = dead mouse (there was a capsule)
- Some cells take up DNA from environment and incorporate it into their chromosomes (dead cells)
14
Q
What occurs during transduction?
A
- (Lytic Cycle)
- Most sophisticated of all virus
- Phage injects its DNA
- Phage enzymes degrade host DNA
- Cell synthesizes new phages that incorporate phage DNA and, mistakenly, some host DNA.
- Transducing phage injects donor DNA
- Donor DNA is incorporated into recipient’s chromosome by recombination
- (Defective Phage)
15
Q
Generalised Transduction:
A
- Transducting a whole bunch of genes from one cell to another
