Bacterial Replication
One of the basic mechanisms that enables accurate genetic information transfer to daughter cells during cell division is bacterial DNA replication. There are numerous important phases in the process:
- Initiation: Replication of DNA starts at the bacterial chromosome’s origin of replication (oriC). In order for additional replication proteins to form, the initiator protein DnaA must attach to the oriC region in order to unwind a brief section of DNA.
- Unwinding: At the replication fork, DNA helicase unwinds the DNA double helix with the help of the DnaC protein. In order to replicate, this creates two single-stranded DNA templates.
- DNA Polymerase III: On single-stranded DNA, primase generates shorter RNA primers, which serve as a building block for further DNA synthesis. The new DNA strands are subsequently synthesized by DNA Polymerase III by appending nucleotides to the 3′ end of the RNA primers.
- Leading and Lagging Strand: On the leading strand, DNA synthesis proceeds continuously from 5′ to 3′ in the direction of the replication fork. Short segments known as Okazaki fragments are created by the discontinuous synthesis of the lagging strand. These pieces are generated by DNA Polymerase III, which is not involved in the replication fork.
- DNA polymerase I and Ligase: DNA Polymerase I eliminate the RNA primers and insert DNA into the voids. A continuous, double-stranded DNA molecule is produced when DNA ligase closes the nicks that separate neighboring DNA pieces.
- Termination: Once DNA replication approaches particular termination sites on the bacterial chromosome, the process is terminated. In certain cases, Topoisomerase IV activity is involved in termination, as well as the Tus (Termination Utilization Substance) protein.
Bacterial Genetics
Bacterial Genetics is the study that focuses on the transmission of genetic information, both within and between interbreeding lines of bacteria, as well as the expression of genetic information and how genotype (or genetic information) influences phenotype (or the physiology) of the bacterium. There are three methods of DNA transfer in bacteria: Bacterial conjugation, Natural transformation, and Transduction. In this article, we will learn about bacterial genetics, its type, and importance.
Table of Content
- Bacterial Genetics Definition
- What is Bacterial Genetics?
- Bacterial Genomic Structure
- Presence of Plasmids and Their Role in Bacterial Genetics
- Genetic Variation in Bacteria
- Bacterial Replication
- Binary Fission in Bacterial Genetics
- Importance of Bacterial Genetics