In this video - Understanding Transduction: How Bacteriophages Transfer DNA Between Bacteria - I look at the process of DNA exchange, transdcution, between bacteria by bacteriophages.
Transduction is driven by bacteriophages, which are viruses that specifically target and infect bacterial cells. In the video, I explain the mechanics of transduction and look at how bacteriophages can inadvertently transfer DNA from one bacterium to another.
Bacteriophages operate through two distinct life cycles: the lytic and lysogenic cycles. During the lytic cycle, the bacteriophage attaches to a bacterial cell, injects its DNA, and takes over the bacterium to produce new viruses. This ultimately leads to the bursting (lysis) of the bacterial cell, releasing the newly formed phages to continue the infection cycle. In the lysogenic cycle, the bacteriophage DNA is integrated into the bacterial chromosome, where it can lie dormant until conditions favour a return to the lytic cycle.
Some bacteriophages, such as the P22 phage, can mistakenly package bacterial DNA instead of their own during the assembly of new viruses. When these phages go on to infect other bacteria, they transfer the captured bacterial DNA, effectively driving genetic exchange between bacteria. This mechanism contributes to bacterial evolution in the wild and serves as a valuable tool in the lab for gene mapping and studying bacterial genetics.
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