Transduction (genetics)

Transduction
This is an illustration of the difference between generalized transduction, which is the process of transferring any bacterial gene to a second bacterium through a bacteriophage and specialized transduction, which is the process of moving restricted bacterial genes to a recipient bacterium. While generalized transduction can occur randomly and more easily, specialized transduction depends on the location of the genes on the chromosome and the incorrect excision of the a prophage.

Transduction is the process by which foreign DNA is introduced into a cell by a virus or viral vector.[1] An example is the viral transfer of DNA from one bacterium to another and hence an example of horizontal gene transfer.[2] Transduction does not require physical contact between the cell donating the DNA and the cell receiving the DNA (which occurs in conjugation), and it is DNase resistant (transformation is susceptible to DNase). Transduction is a common tool used by molecular biologists to stably introduce a foreign gene into a host cell's genome (both bacterial and mammalian cells).

  1. ^ Transduction, Genetic at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
  2. ^ Jones E, Hartl DL (1998). Genetics: principles and analysis. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7637-0489-6.