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How does transduction transfer genetic material between bacteria?
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Transduction is a process of horizontal gene transfer in which genetic material is moved between bacteria via a bacteriophage, a type of virus that infects bacteria.123
The process typically occurs as follows:
- Packaging: During the viral life cycle, a bacteriophage infects a host bacterium. When the phage replicates and prepares to exit the cell, it may accidentally package fragments of the host bacterium's DNA instead of, or in addition to, its own viral genome.43
- Transmission: This "transducing" phage particle then detaches from the original host and infects a new bacterial cell.43
- Integration: Upon infecting the new recipient bacterium, the phage injects the genetic material it carries—which includes the DNA from the previous host—into the new cell. This foreign DNA is then incorporated into the recipient's genome through recombination or insertion.23
This mechanism is significant in the spread of antibiotic resistance, as it allows bacteria to acquire new genes that may encode resistance mechanisms, such as enzymes that inactivate drugs.3