Microbial genetics Flashcards
What is the chromosome number for bacteria?
1 (haploid)
Do bacteria have introns and exons?
no
Do bacteria have histones?
no
What are the two forms of extrachromosomal DNA that bacteria can have?
Plasmids and bacteriophages
What are episomes?
bits of DNA that can insert themselves into chromosomes
What does it mean that bacteria are polycistronic?
One gene region codes for more than one protein/gene
What are F plasmids?
plasmids in e.coli that can insert into bacterial chromosomes
What are R factors?
“Resistance factors” DNA on plasmids that confer antibiotic resistance
What are the four items that may be carried on a plasmid?
R factorsToxinsBacterocinsVirulence determinants
What are bacterocins?
a class of antibacterial agent that are active only against similar or closely related bacterial strains.
What is the lytic phase of bacteriophages?
phages take over the host replication and protein synthesizing machinery to produce new virus DNA and protein. Many new virus particles (virions) are assembled and released into the environment as the bacterial cell ruptures
What is the temperate phase of bacteriophages?
latent infection stage, where the phages enter a non-lytic prophage state in which they integrate into the bacterial chromosome and replication of their nucleic acid is linked to replication of host cell DNA
What are prophages?
The DNA of a phage that is integrated in a bacterial chromosome
What is the lysogenic cycle of phages?
When the phages integrate themselves into bacterial DNA
What is lysogenic conversion?
some lysogenized bacteria express new characteristics such as an increase in bacterial virulence (lysogenic conversion). For example, Vibrio cholerae produce the cholera toxin only when infected by CTX.
What are insertion sequences?
• Mobile genetic elements which have the ability to insert at multiple sites in a target molecule such as the chromosome or plasmids.
What are the two distinguishing characteristics of insertion sequences?
- Small size2. they only encode proteins required for insertion function such as the transposase enzyme and a regulatory protein that can either stimulate or inhibit transposition activity
What are at the ends of the insertion sequences?
Inverted repeats
What are transposons?
• Mobile genetic elements, similar to IS elements, that can transfer (transpose) DNA within a cell from one position to another in the chromosome or from an extrachromosomal genetic element to the chromosome and vice versa
What are the two major differences between transposons and insertion sequences?
- Transposons are longer2. Transposons have more DNA, including resitance genes
How can transposons be lethal for a bacteria?
• Transposons can sometimes insert into a gene thereby inactivating it. If the insertion and inactivation takes place in an essential gene, it can be lethal.
What are pathogenecity islands? What do they carry?
A special class of genomic islands acquired through horizontal gene transfer. They carry groups of coordinately regulated virulence genes surrounded by IS elements.
What are integrons?
a diverse group of genetic elements that encode a site-specific recombination system that can capture gene cassettes (most often antibiotic resistance gene cassettes).
What are the three mechansims of gene transfer in bacteria?
- Transformation2. Transduction3. Conjugation
What is transformation?
uptake of naked DNA by bacteria from the environment
Can transformation be undertaken by both gram positive and gram negative bacteria?
yes