Specialized transduction allows phages to pick up only adjacent DNA from the host chromosome during the transition from the lysogenic to the lytic cycle.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Specialized transduction occurs when a temperate phage excises from the host chromosome and takes with it some adjacent host DNA. This is possible because the phage integrates into a specific site on the bacterial chromosome, and sometimes it can take adjacent DNA with it when it excises. Only the adjacent DNA is packaged in the phage head, which then infects a new host cell. Therefore, specialized transduction allows phages to pick up only adjacent DNA from the host chromosome during the transition from the lysogenic to the lytic cycle.

Specialized Transduction Allows Phages to Pick Up Only Adjacent DNA