Book chapter
Transformation in Prokaryotes
Reference Module in Life Sciences
2017
Abstract
Cells that are able to take up DNA from their surroundings are said to be competent, and when this DNA uptake changes the cell’s genotype, the cell is said to have been transformed. Many bacteria and archaea are naturally competent, with genetically-specified machinery for transporting DNA across the cell envelope. However, cells typically express this ability only under specific conditions, in response to regulatory signals that are different for different species. Bacterial and archaeal cells can also be made artificially competent by chemical or electrical treatments that allow transformation by temporarily making the cell membrane permeable to DNA. Competence and transformation are important both in the laboratory, because they make possible genetic analysis and engineering, and in nature, because the new alleles cells obtain can increase their fitness.
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Details
- Title
- Transformation in Prokaryotes
- Creators
- Joshua C. Mell - Drexel UniversitySunita Sinha - University of British ColumbiaRosemary J. Redfield - University of British Columbia
- Publication Details
- Reference Module in Life Sciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Other Identifier
- 991020830291004721