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Plasmids contain antibiotic resistance genes because these genes provide a survival advantage to the bacteria in the presence of antibiotics. Bacteria can pick up plasmids with antibiotic resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer, allowing them to survive in environments with antibiotic exposure. This is a common mechanism for bacteria to acquire resistance traits and poses a challenge for antibiotic treatment.
What else can I help you with?
Plasmids are circular pieces of DNA that exist in addition to the chromosomal DNA of certain bacteria and yeast?
Plasmids often contain genes that give organisms various abilities, such as antibiotic resistance or the ability to metabolize certain compounds. They can be passed between bacteria through horizontal gene transfer, allowing for the rapid spread of these traits within a bacterial population. Plasmids are used extensively in biotechnology as vectors for introducing foreign genes into organisms for research or commercial purposes.
Describe the use of plasmids as vectors in biotechnology?
Plasmids are often used as expression vectors in biotechnology. Plasmids are small, circular or linear pieces of DNA containing non-essential genes that are found in all life, although much more common in prokaryotes, especially bacteria. These genes confer abilities such as metabolizing a previously unusable compound, building an amino acid previously unbuildable, or even antibiotic resistance. Plasmids are used in research to induce the expression of a gene usually not found in the given organism. For example, you can construct a plasmid with a bacterial promoter connected to the gene for a human protein through a process called 'cloning'. The plasmid with the human gene can then be introduced into bacteria by transforming a competent gram-negative with the plasmid. Usually the plasmid also has an antibiotic resistance gene in addition to the target gene. This antibiotic resistance can be used to select for bacteria containing the plasmid. For example, the most common resistance gene is ampicillin resistance gene. If you grow the transformed bacteria in a culture containing ampicillin, only bacteria containing the antibiotic resistance, and therefore containing the plasmid, can survive. This will ensure that what you have is a pure culture of bacteria containing the plasmid. After selection, these bacteria can be cultured in suitable media to increase their numbers to a point that their production of the human protein becomes appreciable. Then these bacteria are usually lysed (killed) to extract the protein. Sometimes, however, these bacteria can also be made to secrete the protein into the medium.
What is the function of plasmids in DNA?
A plasmid is a small loop of DNA that contains genetic information to help bacteria perform functions such as making use of unusual food sources, resisting antibiotics meant to prohibit growth, or carrying the genes necessary to transfer DNA from one bacterium to another.
What is a plasmid and why is it useful to researchers?
Plasmids are important in the phases of bacterial genetics because plasmids are the small circle of DNA for bacteria and is responsible for storing and studying genes. Plasmid is used as the vehicle to genetically engineer bacteria to produce insulin.
Can plasmids be transferred into other bacteria?
Yes, plasmids can be transferred between bacteria through a process known as horizontal gene transfer. This can occur through several mechanisms, such as conjugation, transformation, or transduction. When a bacterium acquires a plasmid through these processes, it can express any genes present on the plasmid, potentially altering its characteristics or behavior.
Why do some plasmids contain a gene for resistance to antibiotic?
Plasmid contain a few genes including antibiotic resistance genes .Bacteria are highly active metabolically and many mutation are produced in them . These genes are produced by evolution.
What type of gene is used to distinguish bacteria that carry a plasmid containing foreign DNA from those that don' t?
The plasmid that contains foreign DNA is engineered to also carry an antibiotic resistance gene. This antibiotic resistance gene codes for a protein that is able to inactivate an antibiotic thus keeping the cell alive. In the absence of the antibiotic resistance gene, the cells would not survive when exposed to an antibiotic. After transfection (the process of inserting the plasmid carrying the foreign gene into cells), the cells are gown in media containing an antibiotic. Cells that contain the plasmid (and therefore contain the antibiotic resistance gene) are able to survive in this medium. Cells that do not contain the plasmid (and therefore lack the antibiotic resistance gene) do not survive in this medium. The process described above is called selection
Explain why some plasmids contain a gene for resistance to an antibiotic?
Plasmids provide a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer within a population of microbes and typically provide a selective advantage under a given environmental state. Plasmids may carry genes that provide resistance to naturally occurring antibiotics in a competitive environmental niche, or the proteins produced may act as toxins under similar circumstances.
A gene for antibiotic resistance may be used as a making it possible to identify a transformed cell?
Yes, a gene for antibiotic resistance can be used as a selectable marker in transformation experiments. By incorporating the gene into a vector along with the gene of interest, researchers can grow the transformed cells on media containing the antibiotic, allowing only the cells that have successfully incorporated the gene of interest to survive. This method helps in identifying and isolating the transformed cells.
How does plasmid allow for antibiotic resistance?
A plasmid (conjugative plasmid) that has a resistance gene on it, can transfer itself to another bacterial cell (called conjugation) or assist in the transfer of a non-conjugative plasmid that has a resistance gene to another cell (called mobilization). Whichever way it happens, once the plasmid is transfered to the new cell, this cell too may show signs of resistance to the particular antibiotic. This is one of the ways of the speard of resistance amongst bacteria
True or false cells containing a plasmid with an antibiotic resistance gene will die in the presence of the antibiotic?
False. Cells containing a plasmid with an antibiotic resistance gene will survive in the presence of the antibiotic because they can produce the protein that confers resistance, allowing them to withstand the antibiotic's effects.
Antibiotic in gene cloning?
If antibiotic resistance is added to the gene being cloned, antibiotics can be used to isolate the transformed bacteria (ones with the gene being cloned) by killing off all non-transformed bacteria, that don't have the antibiotic resistance. There is a chance that the non-transformed bacteria can mutate to develop antibiotic resistance.
What can gene for antibiotic resistance be used for?
genetic marker
A gene for antibiotic resistance may be used as?
Genetic Marker
Is it true cells containing a plasmid with an antibiotic resistance gene will die in the presence of the antibiotic?
false
Why are plasmids pieces of DNA?
i think each plasmid piece codes for a specific function. for example antibiotic resistance shown by antibiotic sensitive cell after a piece of plasmid that is antibiotic resistant gene recombine with cell DNA.
How are cells screened to determine if the recombinant DNA was taken up?
Usually recombinant DNA is packaged in a plasmid that contains a marker gene. This marker can be an antibiotic resistance gene (NPTII for Kanamycin) or a gene that enables the plant to synthesise an amino acid. For antibiotic resistance the cells are grown on a medium that contains the antibiotic. The ones that grow have the marker gene. Sometimes the cells are transformed with a mixture of plasmids, some with the target gene and some without. The LAC-operon is used to select the cells that have the gene inserted. The gene-insertion inactivates the LAC-Z gene. Cells grown on X-gal plates will be blue, unless there's a transgene present. So white colonies have the transgene.
