Featured Parts:Conjugation parts

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Background/About Conjugation:
Conj.jpg

Bacterial conjugation is the transfer of genetic material between cells. This behaviour is characterized by the presence of a specialized plasmid (small, circular piece of transferrable DNA most often found within bacteria) known as a "conjugative plasmid" .
The conjugative plasmid holds on it a distinct and specialized set of coding regions including the following

  • OriT (Origin of Transfer): Unlike other plasmids, the conjugative plasmid has its own origin of transfer.
  • TraJ (Transfer genes): The activation of this set of genes on the conjugative plasmid sets off a cascade that forces the host cell to start expressing surface proteins that form "mating" characteristics. Such salient characteristics include:
    • the growth of a pilus (a long whip-like apparatus used for genetic transfer between cells)
    • formation of "surface exclusion proteins" which prevents the cell containing the conjugative plasmid from mating with other conjugative plasmids of its type

More Information/References:
1. Frost, Ipp en-Ihler, Skurray. Microbial Rev 1994. Analysis and Sequence of the F Plasmid [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7915817&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum Pubmed]
2. Wikipedia. "Bacterial Conjugation" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacterial_conjugation Link]
3. Berkeley iGEM 2005 [http://parts.mit.edu/wiki/index.php/Berkeley_2005 Project]