Learning Objectives for "Bacterial Genetics: Horizontal Gene Transfer "

After completing this section you should be able to perform the following objectives.

1*. Compare and contrast mutation and horizontal gene transfer as methods of enabling bacteria to respond to selective pressures and adapt to new environments.

2*. Define horizontal gene transfer and state the most common form of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria.

3. Briefly describe the mechanisms for transformation in bacteria.

4. Briefly describe the following mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria:

a. generalized transduction
b. specialized transduction

5. Briefly describe the following mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria:

a**. Transfer of conjugative plasmids, conjugative transposons, and mobilizable plasmids in Gram-negative bacteria
b. F⁺ conjugation
c. Hfr conjugation

6*. Describe R-plasmids and the significance of R-plasmids to medical microbiology.

(*) = Common theme throughout the course

(**) = More depth and common theme

• RETURN TO "BACTERIAL GENETICS: HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER "

Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work The Grapes of Staph at https://cwoer.ccbcmd.edu/science/microbiology/index_gos.html.

Last updated: August, 2018
Please send comments and inquiries to Dr. Gary Kaiser