Bacterial Conjugation Assay Service

Antibiotic resistance genes are usually carried on plasmids. Bacterial conjugation is one of the ways that prokaryotic microorganisms carry out genetic recombination through plasmids. Through bacterial conjugation experiments, bacterial cells can obtain specific resistance. We provide customers with assistance in bacterial conjugation experiments.

Bacterial Conjugation

Prokaryotic microorganisms can carry out gene recombination through three ways: transformation, transduction and conjugation. Bacterial conjugation refers to the process in which bacteria lead to the transfer of genetic material and gene recombination through cell-to-cell contact. Through bacterial conjugation, part of the genetic material carried by the F plasmid is transferred from the donor to the recipient, allowing the recipient to obtain part of the donor's genetic traits. The antibiotic resistance gene on the plasmid can be transferred from one cell to another through bacterial conjugation.

F Plasmid

F plasmid is a double-stranded circular DNA molecule associated with bacterial conjugation that exists in Escherichia coli. It can replicate itself or be transferred to other cells. According to whether E. coli cells have F plasmids, E. coli can be divided into four categories:

• F^- strain: cells without F plasmid
• F⁺ strain: cells that contain F plasmid and exist independently of chromosomes
• Hfr strain (high frequency recombination strain): F plasmid integrates into a specific site on the chromosome
• F’ strain: F plasmid carries a small segment of chromosomal genes

The Bacterial Conjugation Process Mainly Includes Four Steps:

• Donor cells produce pilus (donor cells can contact recipient cells through the pilus)
• The donor is in direct contact with the recipient cells through the pilus
• One of the two DNA strands in the F plasmid is cut by endonuclease and transferred to the recipient cell, while the other DNA strand remains in the donor cell
• The single-stranded DNA is replicated in the recipient cell and the donor cell. After the replication is completed, a double-stranded circular DNA molecule (F plasmid) is formed, which makes the recipient cell change from F^- strain to F⁺ strain

Service Process of Bacterial Conjugation Experiment

• Service consultation, and determine the experimental plan through online communication with our experts
• Cultivation of experimental strains
• Bacterial conjugation
• Experimental result verification: Check whether the antibiotic resistance is transferred from one bacterial cell to another bacterial cell, and verify the bacterial binding result by detecting the DNA of the cell by PCR and electrophoresis
• Submit detailed experiment-related data, pictures and reports

Creative BioMart Microbe provides customers with microbiological-related technical services, a professional technical team and a strict quality management system to ensure that we provide customers with accurate and reliable experimental results.

If you want to know more about this service, please feel free to contact us by phone or email, or you can consult through our inquiry form. We will ensure to provide you with efficient and high-quality experimental outsourcing services.