What is the process of conjugation?

Conjugation is the process by which one bacterium transfers genetic material to another through direct contact. During conjugation, one bacterium serves as the donor of the genetic material, and the other serves as the recipient. The donor bacterium carries a DNA sequence called the fertility factor, or F-factor.

What is F+ and F conjugation?

A de-repressed bacterium comes within proximity of an F- bacterium/repressed F+ bacterium. 2. The F+ bacterium’s pili interacts with the F- bacterium’s membrane. 3. The F+ plasmid releases a strand of its DNA to the F- bacterium via conjugation machinery.

Why is bacterial conjugation important?

Bacterial conjugation is important not only for bacterial evolution, but also for human health since it represents the most sophisticated form of HGT in bacteria and provides, for instance, a platform for the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes (Norman et al., 2009).

What is conjugation and its mechanism?

Conjugation is one of the three mechanisms of DNA exchange between bacteria, the other being transformation, and transduction. Conjugation occurs between two living cells, involves cell to cell contact, and requires mobilization of either a plasmid or a chromosome of donor bacterial cells.

How is a plasmid transferred in conjugation?

Transfer of genetic material occurs during the process of bacterial conjugation. During this process, DNA plasmid is transferred from one bacterium (the donor) of a mating pair into another (the recipient) via a pilus.

What is plasmid describe the process of conjugation in bacteria?

The plasmid from the donor cell is cleaved at a site and plasmid is replicated in the donor cell. The plasmid copy is simultaneously transferred to the other bacterium. After the process of conjugation, both the bacteria will become F+ cells.

How does plasmids take part in the conjugation process?

What is the result of conjugation?

Thus, in Paramecium, conjugation results in a substantially symmetric and complete exchange of a haploid equivalent of genetic material between both of the participants, which can then propagate vegetatively, each carrying a new combination of chromosomes.