EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -In case of conjugation in E. coli, donor cells transfer the DNA after the establishment of mating pairs by the agency of slender threadlike surface structures, following by pilus contraction and physical contact between donor and recipient cells [3].

Detailed explanation-2: -Conjugation is the process by which one bacterium transfers genetic material to another through direct contact. During conjugation, one bacterium serves as the donor of the genetic material, and the other serves as the recipient. The donor bacterium carries a DNA sequence called the fertility factor, or F-factor.

Detailed explanation-3: -Recombination by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been recognized as a key factor in the long-term genome evolution of E. coli, but to which extent HGT generates sequence divergence compared to mutations is highly debated (6).

Detailed explanation-4: -Conjugation is a gene transfer process in which a recipient bacterium receives DNA from a donor bacterium by cell-to-cell contact through conjugative pili. Conjugation is mediated by certain plasmids or transposons.

Detailed explanation-5: -Conjugal transfer in mycobacteria Conjugation in Mycobacteria smegmatis, like conjugation in E. coli, requires stable and extended contact between a donor and a recipient strain, is DNase resistant, and the transferred DNA is incorporated into the recipient chromosome by homologous recombination.