Microbial genetics

Bacterial DNA is present in-

 Chromosome
 Extrachromosomal genetic material (plasmid)
Characteristics of bacterial chromosome:
Average length: 1mm
Usually single circular chromosome except V.
cholerae, Brucella melitensis (2 chromosomes)
 No histone
 Haploid
 Multiply by bina ssion
 Remain supercoiled (due to DNA gyrase)
GENE : Minimum length of DNA which codes
for a pa icular protein or character
STRUCTURE OF DNA(Watson & Crick model)
2 strands of complementa nucleotides coiled
together to form double helix
Each strand composed of 3 elements-
1. Deoxyribose sugar
2. Phosphate gp
3. Nitrogenous base attached to sugar
Nucleoside = Sugar + Nitrogenous base
Neocleotide = Sugar + Nitrogenous base +
phosphate
Nitrogenous bases:
 Two purines- Adenine & guanine
 Two pyrimidines- Cytosine & thymine
 sid e

luc eo
N

tid e

luc eo
N
DNA REPLICATION
• Two models proposed:
– Bidirectional replication
– Rolling circle replication
• Enzymes involved in DNA replication
– Helicase - Causes unwinding
– Topoisomerase (DNA gyrase)-Removes
supercoiling
– DNA polymerase – Forms complementa
strand

 DNA REPLICATION

Bidirectional replication Rolling circle replication

Plasmid: Extrachromosomal, circular,
genetic material that replicate
independent of bacterial chromosome
Characteristics:
• Non-essential structure, circular
• Independent replication
• Episomic position: May be integrated
with chromosome

Classi cation of Plasmid
1. Functional classi cation
a.      Col Plasmid: Colicinogenic plasmid
b.      R-Plasmid: Drug resistance plasmid
(Drug, Antiseptics, U-V light)
c.      F-Plasmid: Fe ility plasmid; develop
sex pili
d.      Vi-plasmid: Virulent plasmid – codes
for
virulence factors
Classi cation of Plasmid
2. Depending on conjugation
a.    Conjugative (large plasmid)
b.    Non-conjugative (Small plasmid)
3. Depending on compatibility:
a. Compatible
bacteria - Di erent plasmids in same
b. Incompatible: Same plasmids
bacteria -one plasmid is lost in a single
4. Depending on transmissibility:
a. Transmissible
b. Non-transmissible- Can
the help of the former be transmitted with


 Mutation
•change
De nition:
in Any permanent
genetic material heritable
is called
mutation
• Frequency
/bacterium of mutation: 10 to
-210
/division
-10

• Causes of mutation:
– Spontaneous mutation – occurs naturally
– Induced mutation
chemical, viruses) – Due to mutagens (physical,
 Mutation
Types of mutation:
1. A ecting single base pair:
– Transition: Purine to purine replacement (A→G)
– Transversion: Purine for pyrimidine or vice
versa
– Silent mutation: New codon but produces
same amino acids
– Missense mutation: New codon- di erent
amino acid e.g Haemoglobinopathies
– Nonsense mutation: Produces stop codon→
premature termination of protein e.g
thalassaemia
 Mutation: types
2. Addition or deletion a ecting one or more
base pairs: Frameshift mutation→ Non-
functional protein

3. Reversion mutation: Second mutation that
nulli es the rst mutation
Wild type → Mutant →2nd mutation → Wild
type
 E ects of mutation
 Variation in fermentation power
 Loss of capsule production
 Smooth colony producers form rough colony
(S→R variation)
 Loss of sensitivity to antibiotics(drug
resistance)
 Loss of sensitivity to bacteriophage & colicin
 Change in colony character


Transfer of genetic materials
•progeny
Ve ical transfer:

From parent bacteria to
•neighbour
Horizontal bacterium:
transfer: From

one bacterium to
– Conjugation
involved) (plasmid mediated; sex-pilus
– Transformation (uptake of naked DNA)
– Transduction (By bacteriophage)
– Transposition
genes) (by transposomes; jumping
 Conjugation
•De nition: Transfer of genetic material
mediated by sex-pilus
•F+ bacterium (donor/male)→Introduces sex-
pilus to F- bacterium(recipient/female) →
Transfer of
F-plasmid to recipient → recipient (female) cell
becomes male & develops sex-pilus.
•Drug resistance genes can be transferred
through sex-pilus
 Transformation
•Def: Random uptake of free or naked DNA of
one bacterium by the other.

 Transduction
•Def: Transfer of genetic material mediated by
bacteriophage (Virus that infects bacteria)
•Types:
– Generalized transduction: Any pa donor
DNA transferred to recipient bacteria
– Restricted/Specialized transduction: Donor
DNA adjacent to phage DNA is excised by
phage & transferred to recipient bacteria
Transduction
 Transposition
•De nition: Transfer of genetic materials by
transposons

•Transposons: A discrete DNA sequence that
transfers blocks of genetic materials back & fo h
from one site of chromosome to other, to plasmid &
to bacteriophage.

•They are also jumping genes; they often car drug
resistance genes
Transposition
 Key notes
o Bacterial genetic materials: Chromosome,
plasmid, gene
o Structure of DNA
o Plasmid: Characteristics, classi cation
o Mutation: Types, e ects
o Transfer of genetic materials