A bacteriophage infects a host cell and the genome integrates itself into the host chromosome. Sometime later, the phage is excised along with a short piece of DNA adjacent to the insertion point. Both the phage DNA and the host DNA are packaged into the same capsid. The bacteriophage then infects a new cell, delivering both phage and bacterial DNA. Which process is being described in this scenario?
The lysogenic cycle, reactivating as the lytic cycle, followed by specialized transduction
The process being described in this scenario is transduction, specifically generalized transduction.
During generalized transduction, a bacteriophage infects a host cell and sometimes integrates its genome into the host chromosome. Later on, when the phage genome is excised, it may accidentally pick up a small piece of host DNA adjacent to the insertion point. When a new host cell is infected with the phage, this bacterial DNA can be delivered along with the phage DNA. In this way, genetic material is transferred from one bacterial cell to another through the action of a bacteriophage. As the DNA that is packaged into the phage capsid can come from anywhere in the host genome, generalized transduction can transfer any gene from the donor cell to the recipient cell.
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