During specialized transduction, we can see the transfer of bacterial genes from:
A the area immediately adjacent to the prophage
B anywhere in the chromosome
C nowhere, as the DNA will be degraded
D none of these choices
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is A: the area immediately adjacent to the prophage.
Specialized transduction is a process in which bacterial genes are transferred from one bacterium to another via a bacteriophage (virus that infects bacteria). It specifically occurs during the lysogenic cycle, when the bacteriophage DNA integrates into the bacterial chromosome to form a prophage.
When the prophage excises from the bacterial chromosome to enter the lytic cycle, it can sometimes incorrectly excise part of the bacterial DNA that is immediately adjacent to the prophage. This DNA is then packaged into new phage particles along with the viral DNA. These new phage particles can go on to infect other bacteria. When these phages infect a new bacterial cell, they transfer the bacterial genes that were adjacent to the prophage in the original host bacterium. This results in specialized transduction, where only specific genes from the donor bacterium are transferred.
The key point here is that the transfer of bacterial genes is not random, but occurs only from the region of the bacterial chromosome that is directly next to the prophage. This is different from generalized transduction, where any part of the bacterial chromosome can be transferred.
In specialized transduction, the recipient bacterium can acquire new traits, such as antibiotic resistance or virulence factors, depending on the genes that were transferred. However, it is important to note that only genes located near the prophage are transferred in this process, which distinguishes it from generalized transduction.