Transduction

Transduction is a DNA transfer mediated by bacteriophage. The DNA transfer occurs after the bacteriophage infects a donor bacteria and carry parts of that bacteria's DNA into a new recipient bacteria cell. Not all virus can perform transduction and not all bacteria are transduceable.

Poster presenting 5 stages of transduction. At the first stage, bacteriophage is infecting bacteria cell by injecting its genetic material into the cytoplasm. At the second stage the genetic material of bacteriophage is replicated along the genetic material of bacteria. When the cell is programmed to undergo lysis, in the third stage, some bacteriophage will pack bacteria genetic material. In the fourth stage, called dissemination, this bacteriophage with bacterial DNA can infect another bacterial cell. At the last, fifth stage, genetic material from other bacteria undergoes homologous recombination with the host genetic material, transferring new genes into the bacteria cell.

Figure 1. Generalized transductions

Bacteriophage transfers the DNA either in generalized or in specialized ways. The difference is in the parts of donor bacteria that are transferred. In generalized, any portion of donor's genome is carried by the virus. In specialized, DNA from a specific region of the host chromosome is integrated directly into the virus genome.