INDUSTRIAL

MICROBIOLOGY
ASSIGNMENT

SEPTEMBER 2020

MADE BY

NAME
ADDHYAN NEGI
ROLL NUMBER
18/IBT/002

Teacher’s Signature
Q1) Griffith experiment of DNA transfer

Ans - Frederick Griffith performed experiments on

Streptococcus pneumoniae which is responsible for causing
pneumonia. He observed that the bacteria produce two
colonies as: R strain: rough colonies
which are non-virulent. S strain:smooth colonies
which are virulent and caused the death of mice. He observed
that S cells are virulent due to the
production of a smooth polysaccharide coat which is absent in R
cells. He performed the following experiment: Mice + R- cell
bacteria ----> Mice lived Mice + S- cell bacteria ------> Mice
died Then he killed S- celled bacteria by heating which caused
denaturation of its genetic material and then injected in mice.
Mice + Heat killed S- cells------> Mice lived Now he injected
mice with heat killed S- cells
and non-virulent R- cells. Mice + Heat killed S- cells + R-
cells----->Mice died. Then he recovered living S-
cells from the dead mice. Then he concluded that some
transforming principle had been transferred from heat killed S-
cells to living R- cells which enables R- cells to secrete
polysaccharide coat and become virulent.
Q2.Which type of bacterial genetic recombination
requires cell - cell contact

Ans. Conjugation, Genetic recombination in which there is a

transfer of DNA from a living donor
bacterium to a living recipient bacterium by
cell-to-cell contact. In Gram-negative bacteria it typically
involves a conjugation or sex pilus.
Conjugation is encoded by plasmids or transposons.

Q3. What are HFR strains?

Ans - A strain of bacteria that possesses the F factor integrated

into the bacterial genome, hence, when it conjugates with
another bacterium, it attempts to
transfer a copy of the F factor as well as a portion of or the
entire chromosome to the recipient bacterium. Hfr stands for
(high frequency of recombination) first described by the
population geneticist, Luca
Cavalli-Sforza. The bacterial cell that acquires F plasmid
and incorporates to the bacterial
chromosome through crossover, the cell is now
designated as Hfr.
Q4. Difference between generalized and specialized
transduction

Ans. As we know, Bacterial recombination is a type of genetic

recombination in bacteria characterized by DNA transfer from
one organism called donor to another organism as recipient.and
we also know this process occurs in three main ways:
Transformation, Transduction, Conjugation
In transduction, the virus, mediated transfer of DNA between
bacteria.
Transduction is the process by which foreign DNA is
introduced into a cell by a virus or viral vector. An example
is the viral transfer of DNA from
one bacterium to another and hence an example of horizontal
gene transfer. Transduction does not require physical contact
between the cell donating
the DNA and the cell receiving the DNA (which occurs
in conjugation), and it is DNase resistant
(transformation is susceptible to DNase). Transduction is a
common tool used by molecular biologists to stably introduce a
foreign gene into a host
cell's genome in both bacterial and mammalian cells as well.
Q5. What are Auxotrophs

Ans - Auxotrophy is a term that refers to a situation where an

organism cannot make a compound that is required for its
growth. In other words, it needs to pop a few supplement pills
in order to grow.
auxotroph is an organism requiring increased
nourishment. This is usually said with respect to a
comparison to another organism or, in general, with respect to
an idea like increased nourishment for
overall growth regardless of any other comparison to another
organism.

Q6. Write short note on F Factor

Ans. Bacterial cells may carry one or more small DNA

molecules in the cytoplasm called plasmids. Of the
various kinds of plasmids, a few are involved in
conjugation and are called conjugative plasmids. One such
conjugative plasmid is the sex element or fertility or F factor.
The presence or F factor in different strains has given rise to
two mating types in bacteria namely, the donor which
possesses the
fertility factor and referred to as F+ strain, the second which
lacks F factor is the F– strain. The F factor is itself
the genetic element which is passed from donor to recipient
cells during conjugation. There is no
conjugation between two F+ strains or between two F– strains.
Structure of F strain The F element contains about 2 per cent of
the cell’s total DNA. It is capable of autonomous replication. It
is made up of a circular, double stranded DNA molecule of
molecular weight approximately 35 x 106. It contains about 15
genes, 8 of which control the formation of F-pili or sex pili
which are hair-like appendages extending from the surface of F+
cells. F pili function in conjugation.

Q7.Write short note on EPISOME

Ans. An episome is a portion of genetic material that can exist

independent of the main body of genetic material (called the
chromosome) at some times,
while at other times is able to integrate into the
chromosome.Examples of episomes include insertion
sequences and transposons. Viruses are another example of an
episome Another example of an episome is called the F factor.
Q8. What is competence Cell

Ans. Cell competence refers to a cell’s ability to take up foreign

(extracellular) DNA from its surrounding environment. The
process of genetic uptake is referred to as transformation. In
some cases, the genetic material taken in by a cell can become
incorporated, or recombined, into its own genome

Q9. What is PCR?

Polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is a technique to make many

copies of a specific DNA region in vitro
(in a test tube rather than an organism). PCR relies on a
thermostable DNA polymerase, Taq polymerase,
and requires DNA primers designed specifically for the DNA
region of interest. In PCR, the reaction is repeatedly cycled
through a series of temperature changes, which allow many
copies of the target
region to be produced. PCR has many research and practical
applications. It is routinely used in DNA
cloning, medical diagnostics, and forensic analysis of DNA.
Q10. What is horizontal gene transfer?

Ans Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the movement

of genetic information between organisms, a process that
includes the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among
bacteria (except for those from parent to offspring), fueling
pathogen evolution. Many resistance genes evolved long ago in
natural environments with no anthropogenic influence but
these genes are now rapidly spreading to and among
human pathogens. HGT occurs by three well-understood
genetic mechanism

Q11. Discuss role of viruses in bacterial genetic

recombination

Ans Bacterial recombination is a type of genetic

recombination in bacteria characterized by DNA
transfer from one organism called donor to another organism as
recipient.and we also know this process occurs in three main
ways: Transformation, Transduction, Conjugation In
transduction, the virus, mediated transfer of DNA between
bacteria.
Transduction is the process by which foreign DNA is introduced
into a cell by a virus or viral vector. An example is the viral
transfer of DNA from one
bacterium to another and hence an example of horizontal gene
transfer. Transduction does not require physical contact
between the cell donating the DNA and the cell receiving the
DNA (which
occurs in conjugation), and it is DNase resistant
(transformation is susceptible to DNase). Transduction is a
common tool used by molecular biologists to stably introduce a
foreign gene into a host cell's genome in both bacterial and
mammalian cells as
well.