F-plasmid

For population factors, see Fertility factor (demography). For TV series, see The Sex Factor.

The F-plasmid (first named F by one of its discoverers Esther Lederberg；also called the sex factor in E. coli，the F sex factor, or the fertility factor)[1][2][3] allows genes to be transferred from one bacterium carrying the factor to another bacterium lacking the factor by conjugation. The F factor was the first plasmid to be discovered. Unlike other plasmids, F factor is constitutive for transfer proteins due to a mutation in the gene finO.[4] The F plasmid belongs to F-like plasmids, a class of conjugative plasmids that control sexual functions of bacteria with a fertility inhibition (Fin) system.[5]

  1. ^ Dugger, Gordon (1976). A dictionary of life sciences. (London [usw.]): Macmillan). p. 130. ISBN 978-0333194362.
  2. ^ Hine, Robert (2008). A dictionary of biology (6th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 592. ISBN 9780199204625.
  3. ^ Lawley, TD; Klimke, WA; Gubbins, MJ; Frost, LS (15 July 2003). "F factor conjugation is a true type IV secretion system". FEMS Microbiology Letters. 224 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1016/S0378-1097(03)00430-0. PMID 12855161.
  4. ^ Yoshioka, Y; Ohtsubo, H; Ohtsubo, E (1987). "Repressor gene finO in plasmids R100 and F: constitutive transfer of plasmid F is caused by insertion of IS3 into F finO". Journal of Bacteriology. 169 (2): 619–623. doi:10.1128/jb.169.2.619-623.1987. ISSN 0021-9193. PMC 211823. PMID 3027040.
  5. ^ Frankel, Gad; David, Sophia; Low, Wen Wen; Seddon, Chloe; Wong, Joshua L C; Beis, Konstantinos (18 August 2023). "Plasmids pick a bacterial partner before committing to conjugation". Nucleic Acids Research. doi:10.1093/nar/gkad678. PMC 10516633. PMID 37592747.