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Bacterial conjugation, mediated mainly by conjugative plasmids such as F, represents a potential health threat through the sharing of genes for pathogenicity or antibiotic resistance. Given that more than 400 different species of bacteria coinhabit a healthy human gut and more than 200 coinhabit human skin, Francisco Dionisio [(2002) Genetics 162:1525–1532] investigated the ability of plasmids to undergo between-species conjugal transfer. The following data are presented for various species of the enterobacterial genus Escherichia. The data are presented as “log base 10” values; for example, –2.0 would be equivalent to 10–2 as a rate of transfer. Assume that all differences between values presented are statistically significant.
- (a) What general conclusion(s) can be drawn from these data?
- (b) In what species is within-species transfer most likely? In what species pair is between-species transfer most likely?
- (c) What is the significance of these findings in terms of human health?
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Concepts of Genetics (11th Edition)
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