You isolate a piece of DNA from a microorganism you cultivated from your teeth. The piece of DNA is 94 kbp is size and is circular
You sequence it and discover that it contains genes for capsule formation, pili, and antibiotic resistance, as well as an origin of replication. What is this piece of DNA and how is it related to the other genetic elements found in prokaryotic cells?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: The piece of DNA is most likely a plasmid. Plasmids are usually less than 1 Mbp in size and are circular. Chromosomes are much larger and can be circular or linear, although they are usually circular in prokaryotes. Plasmids usually carry genes for antibiotic resistance and other special metabolic or structural features that impact cell ecology and virulence, but are not absolutely essential for cellular growth and replication. Plasmids can also replicate independently from the chromosome, although they use the host cell's DNA polymerase and other enzymes for replication. Plasmids are different than viruses because they are always made of double-stranded DNA, are circular, and contain origins of replication.
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