Bacterial Reproduction

Vertical Gene Transfer (VGT)

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Types of binary fission

Binary fission is mainly of three types with regard to the plane of

division:
• Irregular binary fission: Occurs in Amoeba. The plane of division
of cytoplasm varies but is always at right angles to the elongated
dividing nucleus.
• Longitudinal binary fission: Occurs in flagellates such as Euglena.
The cytoplasm splits lengthwise, from forward to backward,
forming two similar daughter individuals.
• Transverse binary fission: Occurs in ciliates such as paramecium
The cytoplasm divides transversely between two sets of nuclei,
forming two dissimilar individuals. This is called bacterial fission.

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 Bacterial Recombination Processes
• Eukaryotes have the processes of meiosis to
reduce diploids to haploidy, and fertilization
to return the cells to the diploid state.
• Bacterial sexual processes are not so
regular.
• However, they serve the same aim: to mix
the genes from two different organisms
together.
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 TYPES OF THE BACTERIAL
REPRODUCTION
In some ways, bacterial genetic material can be
exchanged between individuals. There are three
different mechanisms for bacterial genetic
recombination:

 Transformation

 Transduction

 Conjugation

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 Genetic Recombination in Bacteria:
Horizontal Gene Transfer

DNA

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 Mechanism of Transfer I:
Conjugation

tra & trb locus: 33 kb long and consist

of about 40 genes &
traD enzyme
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 Bacterial Conjugation:
F+ to F- Transfer

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 Bacterial Conjugation:
High Frequency Transfer (Hfr) Cells
Episomes ?

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 Bacterial Conjugation:
High Frequency Transfer of DNA

Different
Alleles

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 Bacterial Conjugation:
F ´ Transfer

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 TRANSFORMATION
Some bacterial cells
release DNA when
they die and break
apart. This DNA can
be taken up by
another bacterial
cell.

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 Mechanism of Transfer II:
Transformation

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 TRANSDUCTION
In this type, DNA is transferred from
bacteria to another by means of viruses.

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 Transduction
• Transduction is the process of moving bacterial DNA from one
cell to another using a bacteriophage.
• Bacteriophage or just “phage” are bacterial viruses. They consist
of a small piece of DNA inside a protein coat. The protein coat
binds to the bacterial surface, then injects the phage DNA. The
phage DNA then takes over the cell’s machinery and replicates
many virus particles.
• Two forms of transduction:

– 1. Generalized: Any piece of the bacterial genome can be

transferred
– 2. Specialized: Only specific pieces of the chromosome can be
transferred.

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 General Phage Life Cycle
• 1. Phage attaches to the
cell and injects its DNA.
• 2. Phage DNA replicates,
and is transcribed into
RNA, then translated into
new phage proteins.
• 3. New phage particles are
assembled.
• 4. Cell is lysed, releasing
about 200 new phage
particles.
• Total time = about 15
minutes.

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 Generalized Transduction
• Some phages, such as phage P1, break up the bacterial
chromosome into small pieces, and then package it into some
phage particles instead of their own DNA.

• These chromosomal pieces are quite small: about 1 % of the E.

coli chromosome,

• A phage containing E. coli DNA can infect a fresh host, because

the binding to the cell surface and injection of DNA is caused by
the phage proteins.

• After infection by such a phage, the cell contains an exogenote

(linear DNA injected by the phage) and an endogenote (circular
DNA that is the host’s chromosome).

• A double crossover event puts the exogenote’s genes onto the

chromosome, allowing them to be propagated.
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General Transduction

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 Lysogenic Phase
• The “lysogenic” phase of the lambda life cycle starts the same way: the
lambda phage binds to the bacterial cell and injects its DNA. Once
inside the cell, the lambda DNA circularizes, then incorporates into the
bacterial chromosome by a crossover, similar to the conversion of an F
plasmid into an Hfr.
• Once incorporated into the chromosome, the lambda DNA becomes
quiescent: its genes are not expressed and it remains a passive element on
the chromosome, being replicated along with the rest of the chromosome.
The lambda DNA in this condition is called the “prophage”.
• After many generations of the cell, conditions might get harsh. For
lambda, bad conditions are signaled when DNA damage occurs.
• When the lambda prophage receives the DNA damage signal, it loops out
and has a crossover, removing itself from the chromosome. Then the
lambda genes become active and it goes into the lytic phase, reproducing
itself, then lysing the cell.

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 Lysogenic Phase

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 Specialized Transduction
• Unlike the F plasmid that can incorporate anywhere in the E. coli
genome, lambda can only incorporate into a specific site, called attλ.
The gal gene is on one side of attλ and the bio gene (biotin synthesis)
is on the other side.
• Sometimes when lambda come out of the chromosome at the end of
the lysogenic phase, it crosses over at the wrong point. This is very
similar to the production of an F’ from an Hfr.
• When this happens, a piece of the E. coli chromosome is incorporated
into the lambda phage chromosome
• These phage that carry an E. coli gene in addition to the lambda
genes are called “specialized transducing phages”. They can carry
either the gal gene or the bio gene to other E. coli.
• Thus it is possible to quickly develop merodiploids (partial diploids)
for any allele you like of gal or bio. Note that this trick can’t be used
with other genes, but only for genes that flank the attachment site for
lambda or another lysogenic phage.

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 The Genetics Book Club…….

•The Gospel of Germs: Men, Women, and the Microbe in

American Life by Nancy Tome

•The Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug Resistant

Bacteria by Mark Plotkin and Michael Shnayerson

•The Antibiotic Paradox: How the Misuse of Antibiotics

Destroys Their Curative Powers by Stuart B. Levy, M.D.

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