Unsuccessful transfer explained

Unsuccessful transfer or abortive transfer is any bacterial DNA transfer from donor cells to recipient cells that fails to be replicated during cell division. (In other words, the incoming DNA does not become inherited.) This may be due to:

• Failure of the incoming DNA to form a circular molecule or to integrate into one;
• Loss of a maintenance system (see plasmid partition system).

As a result of the abortive transfer, among all daughter cells of the recipient cell, only one cell will be holding the transferred DNA. Genes that are located on an abortively transferred piece of DNA can still express in the recipient cell.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Abortive transfer can happen after transduction, transformation, or conjugation -- all of the three main types of genetic exchange in bacteria.^[1] Abortive transduction is especially frequent.^[4]

Dictionary definition

Rieger, Michaelis, and Green, in 1976 stated:

See also

• Gene expression
• Plasmid
• Transduction

Notes and References

1. Book: Rieger R. Michaelis A. . Green M. M. . 1976. Glossary of genetics and cytogenetics: Classical and molecular. Springer-Verlag. Heidelberg - New York. 3-540-07668-9.
2. Book: King R. C. . Stransfield W. D. . 1998. Dictionary of genetics. Oxford University Press. New York, Oxford. 0-19-50944-1-7.
3. Book: Bajrović K., Jevrić-Čaušević A., Hadžiselimović R., Eds. Uvod u genetičko inženjerstvo i biotehnologiju. Institut za genetičko inženjerstvo i biotehnologiju (INGEB) Sarajevo. 2005. 9958-9344-1-8.
4. Web site: Holmes . Randall K. . Jobling . Michael G. . Genetics . Medical Microbiology . University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston . 1996.