Which of the following statements is true regarding generalized transducing phages (e.g. phage P1)?
Correct Answer: The entire bacterial chromosome is carried within a single phage paicle
Description: During a standard lytic infection, the phage DNA is packaged into the capsid before being released from the cell. Sometimes, the host cell DNA becomes degraded and a small fragment of the bacterial DNA is packaged into a phage paicle, forming a "transducing paicle." Only a small fraction of the progeny phages carry host DNA. Due to their small size, each transducing paicle can carry only a tiny fragment of the bacterial chromosome. The host DNA is fragmented randomly, so that any host gene can be loaded into a transducing paicle. A generalized transducing phage does not become integrated into the host chromosome, whereas a specialized transducing phage becomes integrated at one specific site. Because only one small fragment of DNA can be carried in each paicle, only genes that are located very close to each other can be cotransduced.
Category:
Biochemistry
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