Which, if any, characteristics of bacterial gene transfer is/are useful in analyzing eukaryotic gene transfer?
What will be an ideal response?
Lateral gene transfer is the process by which genes are transferred between species, as opposed to vertical gene transfer in which genes are inherited from ancestors. This phenomenon is common in prokaryotes, and can occur by conjugation, transformation, or transduction. There is evidence of natural lateral gene transfer in eukaryotes, but it is far more relevant in terms of artificial gene transfer and genetic engineering. Genes from one organism can be successfully expressed in a different organism; for example, expression of GFP, luciferase, and various reporter genes. If you want to introduce a gene of interest into a eukaryotic cell, you will most often use transformation. Cells are incubated with the DNA of interest, and then subjected to artificial selection to select for cells that have taken up the DNA from the environment. This same process occurs naturally in bacteria and in single-celled eukaryotes, but can be a valuable asset for genetic engineering.
More recently, specially engineered viruses have also been used to introduce DNA into a eukaryotic cell as a strategy for creating transgenic cell lines or for gene therapy. This process is similar to the mechanism by which bacteriophages transfer DNA between bacteria through the process of transduction.
Thus, studying the mechanisms of lateral gene transfer is both helpful and relevant to understanding the processes by which eukaryotes acquire new genes naturally or through intentional genetic engineering.
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All vertebrates have
a. two nerve cords. b. a nerve cord in the front of the body. c. a nerve cord on the side of the body. d. a hollow dorsal nerve cord. e. a tubular ventral nerve cord.
Fermentation directly
A) generates ATP. B) regenerates NAD+ from NADH. C) regenerates NADH from NAD+. D) produces acetyl CoA. E) initiates gluconeogenesis.
If a mutagenesis screen provides some number (e.g., 24 ) of alleles shown by complementation analysis to be in the same gene, which of the following is true?
A) These mutants can be used to identify the role of the gene in metabolism. B) The gene being studied must be present in more than one copy per haploid genome. C) The gene, in whole or in part, must be involved in transformation. D) The gene must be highly conserved in evolution. E) The gene must be involved in regulating a signal pathway.
Which of the following statements is (are) correct about an oxidation-reduction (or redox) reaction?
A) The molecule that is reduced gains electrons. B) The molecule that is oxidized loses electrons. C) The molecule that is reduced loses electrons. D) The molecule that is oxidized gains electrons. E) Both A and B are correct.