transzdukálás

Transzdukálás is a biological process where genetic material is transferred from one bacterium to another by a virus. This virus, specifically a bacteriophage, infects a host bacterium and replicates itself. During this replication process, fragments of the host bacterium's DNA can be accidentally packaged into new phage particles. When these phages then infect a new bacterium, they inject this bacterial DNA instead of or in addition to their own viral DNA.

There are two main types of transzdukálás: generalized and specialized. Generalized transzdukálás occurs when any part of the bacterial genome can be transferred. This happens when the phage undergoes a lytic cycle, where the host cell is destroyed to release new phages. If during packaging, a piece of bacterial DNA is mistakenly incorporated into a phage head, it can be transferred to a recipient bacterium. Specialized transzdukálás, on the other hand, involves the transfer of only specific parts of the bacterial DNA. This occurs when the bacteriophage integrates its own genetic material into the host bacterium's chromosome, entering a lysogenic cycle. Upon induction of the phage to enter the lytic cycle, it excises itself from the host DNA, but sometimes it can take adjacent bacterial genes with it. These specific genes are then transferred to the next bacterium infected by the phage. Transzdukálás is a significant mechanism for horizontal gene transfer in bacteria, contributing to genetic diversity and the spread of traits like antibiotic resistance.