Horizontal Gene Transfer

Lecture 17: Expected Learning Outcome (ELO)

An understanding of the concept of HGT

through:
Transformation
Conjugation
Transduction
Mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer

(F+)
 Transfer of plasmids

Competent bacterial cells can acquire free plasmids

from the environment by transformation
Some classes of plasmids encode the F pilus necessary
for their own transfer between two bacterial cells.

Plasmid host-to-host transfer requires direct

mechanical transfer by conjugation, or changes in host
gene expression allowing the intentional uptake of the
genetic element by transformation.
 Conjugation mechanism
 Requires fertility factor (F factor), which is
encoded on a plasmid (F Plasmid)
 Strains are called F+ or F- to describe whether
it harbors the F plasmid
 Plasmids that are transmitted in this fashion:
conjugative plasmids
 Have genes that code for proteins required for this
transfer to occur
Strain A (auxotroph
for a metabolite x)

Strain B (auxotroph
for a metabolite y)

When these strains

are grown together
prototrophs may
arise due to gene
transfer by
conjugation. These
prototrophs would
grow on minimal
medium

But this does not

happen if they are
grown separately.
 Conjugation apparatus
 A pilus is made by donor strain
 Physical contact is made between cells,
 Contact initiates genetic transfer
 Many genes on “F factor” required for transfer
Horizontal gene transfer by conjugation

Pilus connecting the

donor and recipient cells
Mechanism of transfer
Mechanism of transfer
 Transduction
• Transduction is the process by which foreign
DNA is introduced into a cell by a virus. An
example is the phage mediated transfer of
DNA from one bacterium to another.
Transduction does not require physical contact
between the donor and the recipient cells.
Transduction is a common tool used by
molecular biologists to stably introduce a
foreign gene into a host cell's genome.
 Generalized and Specialized Transduction
Generalized transduction, is the process of
transferring any bacterial gene or fragment of the
bacterial genome to a second bacterium through a
bacteriophage

Specialized transduction is the process of moving

particular 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 a prophage
Generalized transduction of bacterial genes
mediated by bacteriophage P1

When a bacteriophage
can transfer any
bacterial gene, the
process is called
generalized
transduction
Role of phages in the evolution
of bacterial pathogens
Possible fate of invading phage DNA
• Get eliminated/destroyed by bacterial
“phage resistance” systems
• Enter the Lytic Pathway
• Enter into Lysogeny
•Emergence of bacteria with new
properties through interactions with
phage DNA
• Many phages carry virulence associated
genes.
• Phages may impart virulence genes and
hence virulence characteristics to bacteria

• This process may be mutually beneficial

to both phage and the bacteria
 Bacteriophage and bacterial virulence
C. botulinum Botulinum toxin is phage encoded.
C. diphtheriae Diphtheria toxin is phage encoded.

P. aeruginosa Pseudomonas cytotoxins are phage encoded.

S. dysenteriae The Shiga toxin genes are associated with
phage sequences, (defective prophage ?).
S. aureus Staphylococcal enterotoxins are phage encoded.
Toxic shock syndrome toxin is encoded by SapI
pathogenicity island transduced by phage 80α
V. cholerae Cholera toxin is phage encoded.
E. coli The Shiga toxins are phage encoded.
Cytolethal Distending Toxin is phage encoded
Emergence of Pathogens due to Horizontal Gene Transfer
 Escherichia coli Shigella species is closely related
to Escherichia coli which is
mostly nonpathogenic and a
part of the normal flora of the
intestine.
Both Shigella and EHEC are
highly virulent pathgens

Shigella dysenteriae Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC)

Family: Enterobacteriaceae
Shigatoxin-converting bacteriophages
(induced with UV exposure)
 Cholera
In many developing countries, cholera occurs frequently
as large epidemics. Cholera is caused by a bacterium
called Vibrio cholerae. These bacteria produce a toxin
called cholera toxin
10KV 6.31KX 1.6µm
Toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae cause
cholera epidemics

1µm
CTX Phage: Cholera toxin converting bacteriophage
Cholera Toxin is encoded by a lysogenic
filamentous phage known as CTX phage.

Schematic representation of CTX  genome

in Vibrio cholerae