4. Bacterial transformation and bacteriophage labelingexperiments proved that DNA was the hereditary material in bacteria and in DNA-containing viruses.Some viruses do not contain DNA but have RNA inside the phage particle. An example is the tobaccomosaic virus (TMV) that infects tobacco plants, causing lesions in the leaves.Two different variants of TMV exist that havedifferent forms of a particular protein in the virus particle that can be distinguished. It is possible to reconstitute TMV in vitro (in the test tube) by mixing purifiedproteins and RNA. The reconstituted virus can then beused to infect the host plant cells and produce a newgeneration of viruses. Design an experiment to showthat RNA, rather than protein, acts as the hereditarymaterial in TMV.
Genetic Recombination
Recombination is crucial to this process because it allows genes to be reassorted into diverse combinations. Genetic recombination is the process of combining genetic components from two different origins into a single unit. In prokaryotes, genetic recombination takes place by the unilateral transfer of deoxyribonucleic acid. It includes transduction, transformation, and conjugation. The genetic exchange occurring between homologous deoxyribonucleic acid sequences (DNA) from two different sources is termed general recombination. For this to happen, an identical sequence of the two recombining molecules is required. The process of genetic exchange which occurs in eukaryotes during sexual reproduction such as meiosis is an example of this type of genetic recombination.
Microbial Genetics
Genes are the functional units of heredity. They transfer characteristic information from parents to the offspring.
4. Bacterial transformation and bacteriophage labeling
experiments proved that DNA was the hereditary material in bacteria and in DNA-containing viruses.
Some viruses do not contain DNA but have RNA inside the phage particle. An example is the tobacco
mosaic virus (TMV) that infects tobacco plants, causing lesions in the leaves.
Two different variants of TMV exist that have
different forms of a particular protein in the virus particle that can be distinguished. It is possible to reconstitute TMV in vitro (in the test tube) by mixing purified
proteins and RNA. The reconstituted virus can then be
used to infect the host plant cells and produce a new
generation of viruses. Design an experiment to show
that RNA, rather than protein, acts as the hereditary
material in TMV.
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